


What Are the Chances?

by jellyfish_kuchen



Series: Chances [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi and Oikawa are figure skaters, Akaashi is Hinata's uncle, Anxiety, Bokuto and Kuroo are Hockey players, Drinking, Eventual Smut, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Homophobia, M/M, Mutual Pining, PSS shenanigans, Platonic Cuddling, Pretty Setter Squad, Public Display of Affection, Slow Build, Suga and Oikawa are little shits, figure skater/hockey player au, smol 4year old Hinata, the main focus is not the sports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-14 09:38:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 60,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5738713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellyfish_kuchen/pseuds/jellyfish_kuchen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akaashi Keiji is a figure skater, and has been skating since he was a child. However, due to family issues, he's often tasked with taking care of his adorable nephew, Shouyou, and doesn't really see himself as one that has the time or desire for relationships. But when Shouyou runs off and leads him to a hockey player named Bokuto Koutarou, for some reason his heart stops and he can't keep himself from thinking about him.<br/>Unfortunately, as he and Bokuto get closer, things get more and more complicated between Akaashi and his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Three-to-One

Looking out at the ice in front of him, Akaashi took a breath and began his decent down the length of the ice rink. He listened to the music he'd selected play from the speakers around the ice, feeling his lips curl into a small smile. He crossed one foot over the other to pick up speed, before taking a small jump, and landing on the opposite foot with a turn. 

Akaashi started forward, putting his left toe pick into the ice and pushing with his right foot as he turned into a pivot, his blade carving a circle into the ice. He exhaled and straightened into a vertical spin, shifting his weight from his toes to the ball of his foot and crossing his ankles over one another.

The ice was the mercy of his blades; his heart pounded in time with the rising tempo of the music. This is where Akaashi belonged, carving his soul into the ice and losing himself in the music that seemed to physically guide him in his movements.

He slowed his spin and started forward, doing a series of complex footwork, drawing circles and spirals into the ice. He felt himself slip just slightly, and frowned, straightening himself and skating forward in a cross-foot fashion.

Akaashi's desire to improve pumped adrenaline through his body and he did did a couple more small hops as he crossed into a spiral, feeling the music move him accordingly. He then pushed into a camel spin, arching his back and stretching his arms backwards.

Akaashi sighed, his eyes fluttering closed as the cold air sent another jolt through him. He tilted to one side, turning as he skated across the ice, opening his eyes as he heard the strings in the music he was skating to pick up speed; he felt empowered. He moved faster, building up his own speed to match the music's tempo before he jumped into a triple axel, landing on his left foot facing the opposite direction he was skating in.

He turned around, pushing out on his right foot as he made his way toward the center of the ice. He started to bend his right knee and extended his left leg to his front, and proceeded into a flawless sit spin. He stood slowly, pushing out onto his right foot, smiling slightly to himself as the music draws to a close.

His skating slowed and he breathed hard, skating on both feet as he thought over all of the ways he could improve his performance. However, Akaashi's self-criticism was cut short by the sound of enthusiastic clapping, coming from his friend and fellow skater, Oikawa. He looked up at him, having completely forgotten he was there for a moment. Oikawa was grinning proudly at him, and Akaashi couldn't help the soft smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He skated to the edge, where Oikawa was standing.

"Good job, Keiji-chan." Oikawa cooed as Akaashi  walked off the ice, his skates making clunking sounds against the floor. "Very graceful. Almost as beautiful as myself." He flashed his brilliant smile as his eyes followed Akaashi, who walked around him.

"Thanks," He sighed and sat down on the bench and reached for his water bottle. 

"Oh, Keiji-chan, I almost forgot." Oikawa turned to him and held up Akaashi's phone, waving it in front of his face. "Your sister called."

Akaashi blinked and raised a brow. "Suzume? What'd she want?" He held his hand out for his phone which Oikawa handed over. He then turned dramatically and sat beside him, crossing his legs at the knee. 

"She just asked me to have you call her." Oikawa picked up his own phone, and tapped on the camera icon. "Keiji-chan, take a selfie with me."

He nodded and leaned over, looking at the camera over Oikawa's shoulder with a slight smile. Oikawa took up most of the screen, and Akaashi was fine with it. It was normal. His friend held up a peace sign with his free hand and winked as he took the photo. 

"Thanks, Keiji-chan~" Oikawa grinned, pleased with the photo, as he always is. He started to add some filter to it as Akaashi turned his attention to his own phone.

He waited for his sister to answer, listening to Oikawa hum quietly as he edited the photo. "Hey Keiji." His sister answered, heaving a sigh.

"What's up, Suzume neechan?" He asked, getting right to the point.

"I have to work late, can you take Shouyou tonight?" She sounded exhausted, like she'd called everyone else she could think of. "I'm probably going to be pulling an all-nighter again." 

"Where is he now?" Akaashi asked, his voice softening considerably. His sister had gone through a nasty divorce a year and a half ago. Shouyou's father was completely out of the picture and wanted nothing to do with her or his son. This resulted in Suzume taking 2 jobs and Akaashi babysitting his nephew more often than was necessarily convenient. 

"He's at kindergarten." She replied like it was obvious. "You should know, your friend is a teacher over there."

"Alright. What time does he get out?" He sighed taking a sip of his water as Oikawa leaned his head onto Akaashi's shoulder so he could hear the conversation.

"Dismissal is at 3, I really appreciate this, Keiji." Suzume seemed relieved. "Remember to get him to school by 9 tomorrow morning."

"I will. Don't worry, neechan." Akaashi assured her. "I'm sure Shouyou will be happy to see me."

Suzume let out an exasperated chuckle. "He usually is. Thanks, again."

"No problem." Akaashi hung up and looked at his friend, who grinned at him. "What?"

"You're babysitting Shou-chan again." He sat up, chuckling. "How exciting." 

Akaashi rolled his eyes and bent down to unlace his skates. "He's full of energy. He makes his own excitement."

Oikawa nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "Have fun with Shou-chan. I'd come play with him but I have a date tonight."

"Oh?" Akaashi looked over at him, eyebrows raised. "With the masseuse you're always talking about? The muscular one?"

Oikawa nods. "Very perceptive, Keiji-chan. I'm not surprised." He chuckled, looking incredibly proud of himself. He'd been courting this masseuse for about 3 weeks, and Akaashi had been sure that he would have given up by now. He couldn't deny the fact that he was a little impressed. "Iwa-chan finally agreed to a date~ I have the perfect night out planned for us." Oikawa gushed.

"Please tell me you're not taking him to see 'Intergalactic Conquest' That was awful." Akaashi cringed at the memory of the movie. It was all horrible costumes, and crappy effects. Definitely a low-budget film, with the most cliché plot possible. 

His friend looked mildly offended. "I thought you liked it! You said it was interesting."

"It was sarcasm." Akaashi rolled his eyes. "Do yourself a favor and don't take him to that movie. Save your sci-fi obsession for the second date." 

"Alright, alright, fine." Oikawa sighed, pouting as Akaashi pulled off his skates and put them in his gym bag. "What do you suggest we see, then?"

"Make a compromise. See what types of movies he likes and watch something he might enjoy." Akaashi answered, matter-of-factly. He pulled his shoes out of his gym bag and pulled them on.

"That's rich coming from you, Mr. Eternally Single." Oikawa quipped, crossing his arms with his eyes narrowed tauntingly.

"I'm not looking for a relationship, Oikawa. You know that." Akaashi answered, standing up and pulling on his sweatshirt before he picked up his gym bag. "I gotta go get Shouyou. Tell me how your date turns out." He smiled at his friend, and left for the Kindergarten.

On his way out of the building, he passed by a group of Hockey players from the local team. They were big, most of them wide shouldered and carrying heavy-looking gym bags and their hockey sticks on their backs. They were laughing loudly and carrying on about something indecipherable, to which Akaashi rolled his eyes. He couldn't imagine possibly hanging around with anyone so noisy, and walked by them without a second glance.

\--

Upon approaching the kindergarten, Akaashi could hear the shouts and laughter of children. He smiled lightly to himself as he looked over the building. It was a brown brick building surrounded with flower beds and with chalk drawings scrawled messily on the pavement. There were brown, orange, red and yellow leaves made of construction paper in all of the classroom windows, each one scrawled on with messy characters that were probably each student's name. 

Off to the eastern side of the building was a fenced in playground, where several children ran about in a game of tag whilst being watched over by about 5 young women. Akaashi assumed that they were their mothers because they chatted amongst themselves and occasionally looked over when a child shouted for someone to watch them do something.

Akaashi walked into the building and turned down the first hallway, smiling at the art that was displayed on the walls on his way to Shouyou's classroom. He peeked into Shouyou's class, seeing his nephew playing with an angry faced boy with dark hair. Shouyou was all smiles and laughter, playing what Akaashi assumed was demolition derby by the way he crashed several toy cars together.

Suddenly, Shouyou's teacher Sugawara popped his head through the doorway and made Akaashi jump in surprise. Suga grins, stifling laughter and then said, "Akaashi-kun, come inside already."

"Alright, alright." Akaashi said, following Suga into the room where the volume of the children's voices got louder.

"Are you here for Hinata-kun or to visit me?" Suga asked, his eyes scanning over the class before turning back to him, a soft smile on his face. Suga and Akaashi had been roommates in college for about 2 years and had been friends for going on 5 years now. Sugawara was very reliable and kind, which made him a nearly perfect kindergarten teacher.

"As much as I'd like to visit, I'm just here for Shouyou, today." Akaashi sighed. "Suzume is working late again." 

Suga nodded sympathetically, knowing the entire situation. "I'm glad you're here for Hinata-kun, regardless. We need to go out for drinks sometime soon, Akaashi-kun." Suga chuckled, flashing a grin before he turned and walked over to Shouyou and his friend.

Akaashi watched, smiling warmly as Suga crouched down and started talking to Shouyou. Shouyou looked up and his eyes lit up when he saw Akaashi. He turned to his dark haired friend and said something as he pulled on his arm excitedly. Suga chuckled, and the dark haired boy looked like he didn't know what was going on. Suga ruffled Shouyou's hair and stood back up before he returned to where Akaashi was standing. 

"What'd Shouyou say to him?" Akaashi asked, unable to keep a smile from his face at the sight of his cute, orange-haired nephew. The boy's happiness was contagious.

Suga chuckled again. "He said 'Look, Tobio! Keiji-ojichan is here!' He talks about you all the time to his friends." Akaashi laughed at Suga's impersonation of his nephew, but it was cut off by the sound of someone starting to cry.

Suga ran over to where 3 boys were. A boy with brown hair was crying and rubbing his eyes while a smaller boy with spikey hair was pulling another boy's hair. The spikey-haired kid was loudly chanting "SAY YOU'RE SORRY!!" as he yanked on tiny fistfulls of hair. The boy under him screamed and tried to get away from the small angry boy on top of him. 

"Nishinoya! Get off of him!" Suga said sternly, picking up the boy he'd called Nishinoya, who flailed in his arms. 

"BUT HE KICKED ASAHI!" Nishinoya yelled, trying to get at the boy on the floor who'd also started crying. Asahi clinged to Suga's pants leg, and shook in fear. He was the biggest boy in the class, but he looked like he was also the most fragile. Akaashi watched him deal with the little spat and he sent Nishinoya and the boy who's name he didn't catch to the time-out chairs in the far corners of the room.

Just then, Shouyou pulled on Akaashi's leg, holding his friend, Tobio's hand when Akaashi looked at them. Akaashi knelt down and ruffled his nephew's hair, smiling gently at him. "Ready to go, Shouyou?"

Shouyou shakes his head, his messy curls bouncing around his head. "I have a big question for you!" Akaashi's smile widened when Shouyou's arms stretched out to express how big his question was. 

"I'm listening." He replied, glancing at Tobio who shifted nervously and played with his fingers. 

"I told everyone how you're a really good skater, Ojichan." Shouyou started, looking at his friend, who nodded enthusiastically. "Can you come on our ice skating feild trip next week?"

"Oh, that sounds like a good idea, Hinata-kun." Suga leaned forward with his hands on his knees, looking down at the two boys who split into smiles. He'd apparently come back from the fight in time to hear Shouyou's question. 

Akaashi blinked, his gaze shifting nervously. "I don't know-I.." Shouyou looked down with a miserable expression, and Suga knelt down beside the orange-haired boy and pouted at Akaashi. Tobio looked frantic, his tiny, shaking hands reached to touch Shouyou's arm nervously. "Alright. I'll go." Akaashi sighed, defeated. That was not fair. It was 3 on 1, he stood no chance.

Shouyou immediately perked up and Tobio jumped back. "Really?!" He exclaimed, starting to bounce excitedly. "Thank you so much, Ojichan!" He hugged Akaashi tightly around the neck and nearly choked him.

"I'm so glad you decided to come with us." Suga grinned, and for some reason, Akaashi had the suspicion that Suga had planted the idea into Shouyou's head.

"How could I refuse?" Akaashi asked, rhetorically. He somehow managed to unlatch Shouyou's tiny arms from around his neck, and looked down at his adorable nephew. "Shouyou, do you have your backpack?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Shouyou ran to the back of the room to grab his backpack and coat from his cubby. He came back with his coat on and Akaashi zipped it up for him before he stood.

"Let's get home, Shouyou. See you Suga." Akaashi waved to his friend as he took Shouyou's tiny hand in his.

"Bye bye, Tobio!" Shouyou waved, and trotted along beside Akaashi.

Akaashi sighed inwardly. He knew that, without a doubt, he'd been sabotaged into saying he'd do the field trip with them. It'd be different if it was just Shouyou, but there was about 15 little boys and girls in Shouyou's class. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep an eye on all of those children. Of course he would have Suga there. He vaguely wondered if Oikawa would come along. He liked kids well enough. 

"Ojichan?" Shouyou said, breaking Akaashi's train of thought and pulling his attention to the small boy. 

"What is it, Shouyou?" He asked, smiling at his nephew.

"Can we stop for meat-buns?" He asked, hopefully, his eyes wide and innocent. 

Akaashi sighed and had a feeling that even if it had just been Shouyou asking him to come on the field trip, he would have said yes. "Alright. We can get meat buns, but only because you're my favorite nephew."

Shouyou giggled and hugged his leg. "I'm your only nephew, Keiji-ojichan." He said happily.


	2. Feild Trip Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter: Bokuto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be updating weekly, please enjoy this chapter. I'm taking this slow, and any feedback will be much appreciated ^^

Akaashi sat at the kitchen table in his quiet apartment, drinking a hot cup of green tea. He only heard soft, muffled music from across the table and the soft clicking when his roommate, Kenma, picked up his pen and sketched something out on his tablet. The morning was nice, calm. He enjoyed it. Then his phone vibrated, and Akaashi jumped in surprise, receiving a raised eyebrow from Kenma across the table.

"Your phone..." Kenma said, taking a sip of his tea before turning back to his laptop. He'd been up all night, pen tablet in hand, drafting up designs for a promising new videogame concept. He was a designer and programmer, working for one of the leading game designers in the country.

"Right.." He picked it up to see that Suga had sent him a message. He opened it and sighed.

From: Suga 8:47AM

Remember, we depart at 10! (´°ω°·`)/~~

Akaashi rubbed his neck and typed back a quick response before finishing his tea. Kenma looked up at him as he stood up, dark bags visible under his eyes. "Field trip day?"

Akaashi nodded. "Shouyou's really excited about it." He paused and noticed Kenma's eyes blinking slowly with an almost dazed expression. He was definitely exhausted. "Get some sleep, ok? Don't work all day." He smiled knowingly at Kenma, who just hid behind his blonde hair, tucking his chin down so Akaashi could see the 3cm length of black roots growing in.

"Alright.." Kenma bobbed his head a bit in acknowledgement, turning back to his work. "Tell Shouyou I said hello." He mumbled, quietly.

"Will do." Akaashi said, taking his teacup to the sink.

\--

Akaashi texted Oikawa, telling him he was on his way to get him. Oikawa had enthusiastically agreed to coming on this field trip when Akaashi brought it up to him last week. His friend was excited about taking a group of children to ice skate, incredibly so. Akaashi wished that he'd shared Oikawa's enthusiasm, but figured it would be worth it to see Shouyou have a good time. 

Akaashi walked into Oikawa's apartment building and up the stairs quickly. He wanted to make sure they'd get to the school on time, and knocked on the door as soon as he stopped in front of it. 

However, when the door opened, the face Akaashi was met with wasn't Oikawa's at all. He was shorter than him, with messy black hair and sharp eyes. He had broad, muscular shoulders and wore a tight fitted muscle t-shirt that did nothing to hide his thick arms. For a moment, Akaashi thought he'd knocked on the wrong door, until he noticed the familiarity of Oikawa's furniture.

"Um.. Is Oikawa home?" Akaashi asked awkwardly, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah, hold on." The man answered, before turning and calling over his shoulder. "Your friend's here, Oikawa!"

"Hold on, Iwa-chan!! It takes effort to be beautiful!" Oikawa's voice sang from inside the apartment.

"Oh, so you're the 'Iwa-chan' Oikawa's been talking about." Akaashi nodded in understanding.

Iwa-chan sighed and rubbed his neck. "It's Iwaizumi. I don't understand the nickname thing." He'd apparently grown tired of trying to correct Oikawa's nickname for him, as everyone eventually did.

"He does it to everyone, don't take it personally." Akaashi assured him, with a slight nod. "I'm Akaashi, I've been skating with Oikawa since we were kids. Just be glad he hasn't called you something like 'Masseuse-chan' or 'Muscle-chan'." 

Iwaizumi nods, rolling his eyes slightly. "You must be a saint." He smirks. "Putting up with him for so long."

Akaashi shrugged, feeling a slight smile form. "He's a good friend."

Oikawa sauntered into the room with his bag, smirking at Iwaizumi and Akaashi. He sets the bag down and draped his arm over Iwaizumi's shoulders. "I'm afraid I have to be going now, Iwa-chan." He sighed, dramatically.

Iwaizumi shoved his arm off him. "Don't worry about me, I'll lock up here when I leave." Despite the action, Iwaizumi's tone was light and his eye were fond as he looked at Oikawa.

"So responsible~" He grins before he bends down to pull on his shoes, watching Iwaizumi go back into the apartment from the corner of his eyes, a soft smile playing at his lips.

"Iwaizumi-san seems nice." Akaashi said, checking his watch. 

"You have no idea." Oikawa sighed, dreamily, his cheeks flushing a soft pink as he glanced back in Iwaizumi's direction again. He stood back up after his shoes were on and grabbed his bag again. "Let's go skate with Shou-chan and company!" Oikawa cheered, excitedly, practically skipping out of the apartment. 

Akaashi almost had to jog to keep up with Oikawa's pace, but he wasn't complaining. At least they'd get to the kindergarten before 10. Oikawa chattered on and on about 'Iwa-chan this' and 'Iwa-chan that' as they made their way to meet up with Suga and the kids.

\--

When they got to the school, Suga was outside with the children, who were especially loud in their excitement. Shouyou practically shoved everyone out of the way as Akaashi and Oikawa approached the group, breaking free of them and running towards them.

"Ojichan!! Tooru!" Shouyou grinned and jumped into Akaashi's arms, causing Akaashi to stumble a bit after he caught him. The boy giggled excitedly.

Oikawa burst into laughter at Akaashi's surprised expression. "Its good to see you, Shou-chan." He ruffled Shouyou's hair, and Shouyou flashed a bright smile.

Akaashi laughed exasperatedly, giving his nephew a hug before he set him down. "Ready to go?" 

Shouyou nodded excitedly, taking Akaashi and Oikawa by the hand and dragging them towards the group of children.

Suga grinned at them. "I'm glad you guys could make it, Akaashi-kun, Oikawa-kun." 

"Likewise, Kou-chan." Oikawa brushed his hair from his eyes with a smile and a few of the little girls in the class huddled together and giggled, eyeing Oikawa.

"Looks like you have some admirers." Suga chuckled lightly before he turned to the class and gave instructions to his students, all of which were incredibly excited and fidgety.

Akaashi watched Shouyou nod enthusiastically to all of the instructions Suga gave and the class formed into a line. They arranged the group so that Oikawa lead the group, Akaashi stood beside the line and Suga walked behind to make sure nobody got lost or wandered off. The arrangement worked nicely, the children talked amongst themselves, and there were no incidents on the way to the ice rink. They filed the children into the building and got each of them set up with their own pair of skates.

There was a blonde girl having trouble putting on her skates, so Akaashi knelt down in front of her. "Would you like some help?" He asked, carefully.

She jumped in surprise and nodded quickly. "Y-Yes.. Thank you." She replied politely, ducking her head down. 

Akaashi smiled gently at her and started to unlace the skates before helping her put them on. "What's your name?"

"Yachi Hitoka.." she answered, seeming to relax a bit. "You're Hinata-kun's uncle.. right?"

"Yeah, are you friends?" He asked, tying the laces on both skates as he looked up at her. She nods. "I'm glad he has such nice friends." Akaashi helped her stand and looked around for anyone else who needed help with their skates. 

For some reason, something didn't sit right with him. He looked out at the ice, seeing a few kids skating slowly together. Oikawa was leading a couple of them around the edge of the ice, getting them used to it. He looked around him, Suga was helping a couple more children with their skates, when it finally hit him; Shouyou was missing.

He looked around frantically for a moment, his heart beating erratically at the idea of having lost his nephew. Akaashi rushed to crouch next to Suga. "Where's Shouyou?" He asked, lowly, trying to hide the edge in his voice. 

Suga looked up. "He was with us when we got out the skates." Suga's face and voiced dropped it's usual cheeriness. "You mean he ran off?"

Akaashi nodded, feeling panic surge in his chest. He looked around once more. "I need to go look for him. Stay with the rest of the kids.. I'll find him."

Suga nodded. "Alright, I don't want the others to panic. Let me know when you find him." He said softly.

"I will, don't worry." Akaashi pat him on the shoulder and got up to leave in search of his nephew. He rushed out of the ice rink and began his search.

\--

The hockey team was getting ready to warm up in the locker rooms. Most of the team was busy changing into their work-out attire, before filing out to the weight room one by one. 

Bokuto Koutarou pulled off his shirt and stuffed it into his locker. He turned around to grab something from his gym bag when he came face-to-face with a small boy, with bright orange hair and big brown eyes. 

"Wow! Your hair is super cool!!" The boy said, bouncing on his heels. He grinned up at Bokuto. "How do you do that?" The boy then started to tug at his orange curls in a feeble attempt to get his hair to stick up. 

Bokuto looked around at the other members of his team that were also in the locker room, wondering if one of them brought the kid with him. He rubbed his neck, glancing back at the kid who was pulling his hair straight up and smiling at him. 

"Uh.. thanks, kid. Who're you here with?" Bokuto asked, crouching down so he was at the same level as the boy.

"Keiji-ojichan." He answered, releasing his hair. "He's really good at skating so he came here with me." The small boy put his hands on his hips and looked incredibly proud of whoever this 'Keiji-ojichan' was.

"What's your name?" Bokuto asked, gently. 

"I'm Hinata Shouyou." The boy in front of him giggled, pointing at himself with his thumb. "Hey, hey, why are you so musclely? Can I get muscles like you?"

Kuroo looked around the lockers and snorted. "Hey, Bo, are you babysitting? Who'd trust you with their kid?" He sneered.

"No, he just showed up here." Bokuto said, looking back at Kuroo. "Do we have anyone named Hinata Keiji on the team?"

"No, we don't." Kuroo raised his brow, coming around the lockers and looking at Hinata. Unlike Bokuto, Kuroo hadn't started to change yet.

"Who're you?" Hinata asked, his head tilting to the side as he looked up at Kuroo. 

"I'm Kuroo, and this idiot is Bokuto." He answered, sitting on the bench beside Bokuto's bag. 

Hinata looked shocked. "That's not very nice to say. I bet Bokuto-san could beat you up if he wanted to. He's got big muscles, you know." 

Bokuto started to laugh loudly. "I like you, Hinata-kun." He cackled, drawing the attention of the other hockey players that were still in the locker room. 

"Hey, I can take you any day, bro." Kuroo laughed with Bokuto. "Hey, Chibi-chan, where's your mom?"

Hinata sighed loudly. "I said I'm here with Keiji-ojichan."

"So where is he?" Kuroo grinned, finding Hinata amusing.

Hinata looked from Bokuto, to Kuroo, and back. "He's with my class. We're on a field trip." He looked confused as to why they needed to know where his uncle was. "Tooru also came with us. He ice skates too."

Bokuto chuckled. "Come on, we should find your uncle. He might be worried about where you-"

"SHOUYOU!" A man shouted, causing Bokuto and Kuroo to look up. He was panting, running into the room and taking Shouyou in his arms. "Oh thank God, I found you.." His voice was much softer now, as he hugged the confused boy.

"Ojichan, are you ok?" Hinata asked, petting his uncle's hair. The man pulled back and smiled at him gently. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, Shouyou. You just scared me when you walked off." He smiled warmly at his nephew.

Bokuto stared at the boy's uncle. He was absolutely gorgeous. He was younger than he'd thought he'd be, probably about 24. He had these striking dark eyes that settled under heavy eyelids and porcelain-like skin with a slight flush on his cheeks. His lips were thin, but full, and he had such fair features, all crowned with short, black, curly hair. He looked up at Bokuto who had to hold his breath when their eyes locked.

Oh. My. God.

"Thank you for looking after Shouyou." Hinata's uncle said as he stood back up. 

It took Bokuto a moment to realize he should probably say something instead of just staring at him. "Oh, n-no problem, Hinata-san." Bokuto sputtered, averting his eyes.

"Oh, I'm not Hinata.. I'm Akaashi. And you are?" Akaashi asked, chuckling softly. He took Shouyou's hand in his as he looked at Bokuto. (And for some reason, Bokuto was incredibly distracted by Akaashi's thin, delicate fingers.)

"Akaashi-san, then. I-I'm Bokuto Koutarou." Bokuto looked back and as soon as he saw Akaashi's eyes, he felt his heart stutter. "A-And honestly, Hinata-kun was no trouble." He grinned at him.

Akaashi nodded, his eyes fluttering down over Bokuto's still bare torso before his cheeks flushed a bit more than before and he looked back up at his face. "Well, thanks again. We've got to get back to the group." Akaashi looked at his nephew, who nodded. 

"See you around, Akaashi-san." Bokuto grinned dumbly. 

"Yeah, see you, Bokuto-san." Akaashi smiled slightly before he leads Hinata out of the locker room. That smile was like an arrow straight to Bokuto's heart. Akaashi looked briefly over his shoulder as he walked; his entire being radiated elegance, it seemed.

Even as Akaashi disappeared through the door, Bokuto couldn't look away, it was like he was starstruck. He stared at the door for a solid minute before Kuroo smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow!! What?!" Bokuto snapped, turning to his friend with a frown.

"Stop drooling. You look like an idiot." Kuroo smirked.

"Did you not see him? Heaven on legs just walked in here, man!" Bokuto whined. "I've never seen anyone so beautiful and perfect!"

"Dude, he was here for his nephew. Just because he smiled at you, doesn't mean he's interested." Kuroo shook his head and laughed at his friend. 

"I know that, geez." Bokuto grumbled, turning back to his locker. Knowing, however, didn't stop him from thinking about Akaashi. He sighed, running his hand over his hair with an animated pout. He was so screwed.


	3. Drunk and Delusional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Suga and Oikawa decide the best way to loosen Akaashi's lips is via tequila

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to this has been so heartwarming and wonderful! You guys are so nice!! 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Field trip day ends without further incident. Akaashi and Oikawa hang around the classroom back at the kindergarten, watching as the children(even Shouyou) get picked up by their mothers, and the occasional father or older sibling. Suga is bustling about, talking to parents and cleaning up his classroom. He had a bright smile plastered onto his face as he told every parent about how much fun the children had on the field trip.

"Kou-chan's a real natural with people, isn't he?" Oikawa asked, nudging Akaashi with his elbow. Akaashi had been lost in thought but he recovered quickly and nods.

"Oh.. Y-Yeah, he's been that way for as long as I've known him." Akaashi answered, leaning against the wall behind him, smiling to himself. 

Oikawa stared at him for a moment, his eyes boring into him. Akaashi shifted under his intense stare uncomfortably, and he only got more uncomfortable when Oikawa's mouth curled into an almost evil smile. "Ohhh, Keiji-chan~ You've met someone."

Akaashi blinked and felt his face heat up slightly. "Are you insane?" He asked. "How could I have met someone on a field trip?"

"You tell me." Oikawa grinned mischievously.

"There's nothing to tell." Akaashi rolled his eyes and looked away, but even as he did, an image of the man he'd seen in the locker room flashed in his mind. His cheeks darkened slightly and he swallowed thickly.

Suga appeared in front of Akaashi then. "What's this? Akaashi-kun is red faced." Suga smirked, crossing his arms in front of him. 

"He met someone on the field trip and won't tell me about it." Oikawa explained, to which Suga nodded. 

"I really didn't meet-"

"That's funny, Hinata-kun mentioned meeting this big musclely guy that had really cool hair." Suga commented off-handedly, with a grin.

Akaashi felt cornered and at the same time his cheeks burned harshly. He was cursed with these devils for friends and vaguely wondered if it was possible to spontaneously combust at will. 

Oikawa poked Akaashi's cheek. "Looks like we've hit the nail on the head, Kou-chan. Keiji-chan, tell us about him." He grinned, his eyes narrowing. 

"Now, Oikawa-kun, he doesn't have to tell us right now. Let's go back to my place for some drinks. He'll tell us when he's ready." Suga chuckled, feigning kindness in his voice. Akaashi, however, had known that what Suga had actually meant by that was "he'll talk if he gets some alcohol in him."

However, before Akaashi had the chance to argue, Oikawa was talking. "Alright. Let's go to Kou-chan's place!" Oikawa cheered, excitedly. The two high-fived, and Akaashi mentally cursed himself for having introduced them to each other. 

\--

"Kuroo, what am I going to do?" Bokuto whined, running his hands through his hair as he lay upside down on Kuroo's couch, his legs hanging over the back of the couch and his head hanging off the cushions. He looked at Kuroo's 'upside down' apartment and groaned, dramatically. He wasn't able to concentrate at all during practice, and even fell on his ass probably around 5 times before their coach took him off the ice.

"Well, first you should probably stop whining like that, it's gross." Kuroo rolled his eyes at the sight of his friend. He'd seen him depressed before but it didn't make dealing with it any less annoying.

"I'm not whining, man. I'm having a crisis!" Bokuto looked at his friend, having worked most of the gel out of his hair from combing his fingers through it. "I thought friends were supposed to help you in your times of need.." He grumbled.

"I'm here to help you, Bo. You just need to stop being a little baby and figure out what you want to do." He watched Kuroo as he said this and groans, turning around so he sat up.

"I don't know what I can do, I mean- Akaashi's so.." Bokuto waved his hand in the air as he searched for the right word. "..elegant." 

Kuroo snorted at the other's words. "He's a twenty-something man, just like you and me. He probably even goes to the bathroom." He teased. "Geez, Bo, he's not some other-worldly being. He's just a guy."

"A beautiful guy." Bokuto corrected, leaning his head in his hands. His hair was a mess, flopping down over Bokuto's forehead in some spots and still sticking up in others. "Kuroo, I've never seen anyone as beautiful as him."

"Rude." Kuroo said blandly as he held his hand against his chest, feigning offence. When he got no response he sighed and ran his hand through his own messy hair. "Why don't you talk to him? Go get him, if he's that beautiful. You don't want to let him get away." He suggested with a shrug.

"But where am I going to find him?" Bokuto asked, leaning back and pouting. He looked over at Kuroo, his eyebrows raised, challenging him.

"Didn't the kid say he skates? Just check the ice for him. The odds are, if he's a pro skater, he comes to the rink to skate at least twice a week." Kuroo nodded to himself, smirking. 

Bokuto tackled his friend down in a hug. "Oh man, that's perfect!! All I need to do is run into him at the ice rink!" He laughed, grinning at him.

Kuroo laughed and grabbed Bokuto in a headlock, giving him a noogie. "Now stop acting like a love-struck teenage girl."

"I wasn't acting like that." Bokuto pouted.

Kuroo looked him in the eyes with an unamused expression. "Dude, you kinda were."

He sighed. "I know."

\--

Afternoon faded into evening, which in tern faded into night. Akaashi, Suga, and Oikawa had gone out to dinner at a noodle bar, and decided to all crash at Suga's apartment for the night. Oikawa and Suga had planned for them to all drink to Akaashi's finding of a man, even though up until this point, Akaashi hadn't brought up any details, or even confirmed that there had been one. They somehow just knew that he'd met someone.

The two demons grinned widely as they pushed Akaashi into Suga's apartment. They followed him in and each of them shed their shoes before heading into Suga's living room, Oikawa carrying a bag from the convenience store which he set on Suga's coffee table. The bag's contents were beer and snacks that Suga and Oikawa had picked out.

Akaashi sighed, sitting on Suga's couch. Oikawa plopped on the floor beside his legs as Suga was grabbing something from the kitchen. When Suga returned, he had 3 glasses and a bottle of tequila.

"Ooh~ Kou-chan likes to party." Oikawa grinned, pulling the beer and snacks out of the shopping bag and pulling open a bag of chips. 

Suga chuckled, sitting beside Akaashi and setting the tequila and glasses on the table as well. "I've been saving this for a while, I figured tonight would be a good time to break it open." 

Oikawa nodded with a grin as he popped a couple of chips in his mouth. "Sounds good." He hummed. 

Akaashi sighed and reached for a beer, popping open the can. Suga and Oikawa shared a grin. "I still have no intentions of telling you anything." Akaashi grumbled as he took a sip.

"Ah, ah~ Keiji-chan. You just implied that there's a story to be told." Oikawa's voice lilts, and he leaned back against the couch to open his own beer.

He rolled his eyes, and drank his beer, watching as Suga opened the tequila and poured some into a glass before he tipped it back. "Ahh~ that's good."

"That's our Kou-chan." Oikawa grinned. "I bet the parents would freak out if they knew how much liquor you can drink."

"That's why they don't know." Suga smiled sweetly. "What they don't know, won't hurt them." He poured more tequila into his glass and poured some for the other two, handing out the glasses.

"Cheers~" Oikawa sang, holding up his glass. Suga and Akaashi raised their glasses in turn and they all tipped back the liquor. Akaashi sighed at the sharp burn in his throat and Oikawa coughed a bit.

"What's wrong? Too strong for you?" Akaashi asked, raising his eyebrow, and drinking more of his beer.

Suga cackled and picked up a beer. "You might want to stick to something that's less dry, hmm? What do you say, Oikawa-kun?"

He blushed and rolls his eyes with a pout. "I'm fine. You guys are pricks though. Especially you, Keiji-chan. I forgot how blunt you get when you start drinking."

Akaashi's face was slightly flushed from the alcohol and he waved him off. "Yeah, yeah." He reached for the tequila after he emptied his beer can, pouring some into his glass. He took a long sip and sighed, enjoying the warmth that started in his stomach and crawled through his limbs. "This is good, Suga."

Suga nodded. "This is real tequila, not the cheap shit you drink in bars." He looked at his bottle fondly. "You know it's good when you don't need all that salt and lime to mask the taste." Suga grinned, drinking some beer, his face only slightly flushed.

"We can always count on you to give us good drinks,Kou-chan." Oikawa sighed with a wag of his finger, taking the bottle and getting some more as well.

"Don't choke this time, Oikawa." Akaashi deadpanned, and Oikawa threw an empty beer can at him.

"Asshole!" Oikawa grumbled, sipping his tequila slowly, wincing lightly as he swallowed it. "Even after I tell you all about Iwa-chan, all you do is hold out on your mystery man and make fun of me."

"Who's Iwa-chan?" Suga asked. 

"Oikawa's new prize. A masseuse. He's got great biceps and a broad chest." Akaashi answered, chuckling softly.

"Sounds sexy." Suga commented, a grin plastered on his face.

Akaashi nodded. "He could probably hold him up with one arm." 

"He can." Oikawa grinned, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. 

Suga laughed, sighing dreamily. "Sounds like a lot of fun, Oikawa-kun. I'm actually seeing someone now too. He's not flashy, but my God is he hot." Suga gushed, leaning his face into his hand.

Oikawa slammed his glass down. "I demand details, Kou-chan!" He took a small handful of chips and ate them one by one with his free hand, and Akaashi leaned over and plucked a few chips from the bag himself.

"Okay, his name's Daichi. He lives two floors above me, and he's a lawyer, but he has the build of someone who should be a cop or something. He's all.. thick." Suga made a gesture with his arms. "Solid muscle, and these thighs that just.." he made a low groan in his throat at the thought of them. 

Oikawa whistled, picking up his beer again as Akaashi poured himself a bit more tequila. "He sounds like a real treat." 

"A delicious treat." Suga adds with a snort of laughter before he downs half a can of beer.

" You'll have to introduce us to Thigh-kun sometime, Kou-chan." Oikawa joins in his laughter.

Taking another gulp of tequila, Akaashi hummed and stared off into Suga's apartment. "Bokuto-san." He sighed, leaning back into the couch. He felt warm, his mind picturing the man he'd met earlier.

"Oh, who's that, Keiji-chan?" Oikawa asked, leaning his chin on Akaashi's leg as he looked up at him with a playful grin. Akaashi would have found this look incredibly sinister if his judgement wasn't fogged by the tequila.

"Mystery man," he explained. Akaashi's face was flushed, and his voice slurred slightly. "I ran into him when I went looking for Shouyou today." 

Suga nodded. "That explains how you were able to meet someone hot without us knowing." He grinned at Akaashi. "What's he like?"

"He's taller than you, Oikawa. And he's a hockey player." Akaashi sighed. "He has washboard abs.. thick arms.." he ran his hand through his hair and felt himself blush darkly.

Oikawa grinned. "How much taller?"

"I don't know.. he looked much taller, but he has his hair spiked up so that adds like 4 centimeters to his height." Akaashi mumbled. "I wonder what his hair looks like down.. Bokuto-san seems kind.. he has a nice smile." He stopped rambling and glared at his drink. He puts it down on the table with a frown. 

"What's wrong, Akaashi-kun?" Suga asked, giggling lightly. 

"You tricked me with your boy talk.." Akaash slurred. "I drank too much, shit.." he looked frustrated, and leaned back against the couch. "I'm delusional.. thinking about him when I'm drunk.. this is.." he paused, losing his train of thought. Suga and Oikawa broke into giggles.

"It's good." Suga smirked. "It's about time you thought about you."

"This isn't good.. I'm going to get my hopes up. He's handsome.. but like.." Akaashi mumbled. "I need to think about what's best for Shouyou."

"Shou-chan isn't your son." Oikawa slurred. "Let loose,"

"Yeah, besides, you're everything someone would want. You're attractive, talented.. mysterious." Suga explained. "The only way he could not be interested in you is if he was straight."

"He probably is, though." Akaashi groaned, leaning his head in his hands. "I always end up hot for the straight guy."

"Don't worry so much, Keiji-chan." Oikawa pushed himself up onto the couch and settles in next to Akaashi, looking up at Suga who has also stopped drinking. He pat Akaashi's back soothingly. "I don't think anyone could stay straight if you wanted them badly enough. I've proved that fact a few times." Oikawa giggled.

Suga pulled Akaashi's face out of his hands and leaned him back, Akaashi allowing his friend to move him so he rested comfortably on the couch. His legs draped across Oikawa's lap and his head was rested against Suga's chest.

Akaashi sighed loudly. "Thanks guys.." he blinked hazily, feeling comfortable despite the growing dread in his chest. Here he was, spouting nonsense about a man he'd barely talked to for 2 minutes. He doubted that Bokuto even remembered who he was. 

They all shifted a few times until they were all comfortable enough for sleep. Suga had his head propped on a throw pillow and his body was stretched out across the couch. Akaashi was now curled against his side, head nestled under Suga's chin, and his long legs tucked around Oikawa's waist. Oikawa used Akaashi's hip as a pillow and his legs were dangling off the arm of the couch. If someone were to walk in, they'd have seen the three in one, snuggly pile on the couch. Not that any of them minded. (They've done this multiple times in their friendship.) They chatted drunkenly about random things until one by one, the three fell into a warm haze of sleep.


	4. Stake-Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Kuroo stage a stake-out.

Bokuto stood in front of the ice rink, staring at the doors as the first signs of dawn turned the sky from dark, to hues of red, peach, and purple. He tucked himself around the corner of the building, where the bushes were unkempt and leafless. The building wasn't open yet, but he had his stake-out to prepare for. There was no time to loose. He didn't catch Akaashi when he just casually walked into the building at a random times on Saturday and Sunday, and Monday he had practice and hadn't been able to run into him then either. 

He'd grown depressed. When he asked Kuroo what to do, he'd mockingly suggested staging a stake-out. So here he was. He was wrapped up in layered clothing and blew into his hands for warmth. How could he have forgotten gloves?! It was really cold for late November, and the winter-ish wind bit at his exposed skin. He tugged his scarf up on his nose and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets as he waited out Akaashi. 

A few employees showed up and unlocked the doors once the sun had began it's journey across the sky. Bokuto waited still, pulling a blanket and a rice ball from his backpack. He munched on his snack, shivering as he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. He peeked out "discreetly" whenever someone walked into or around the building, wearing sunglasses as his disguise.

After about 2 hours of stake-out, his phone started to ring loudly. He jumped at the sounds of the ringtone, immediately knowing who it was because of the heavy metal music and the kitten noises it had instead of lyrics. He took up the phone and answered it, hoping his cover wasn't blown. 

"Kuroo, I'm kinda busy." Bokuto grumbled into the phone, furrowing his brows as he looked out at the street. Kuroo cackled on the other end of the line. "What?"

"Hah! I can't believe you're actually doing it, this is great." Kuroo laughed harder than was necessary, and Bokuto pouted. 

"You're the one who suggested it. It was a good idea, I thought." Bokuto groaned, frowning at his friend's ongoing laughter.

"Ah.. geez, Bo. You're killing me over here!" Kuroo's laughter started to die down. 

"You done?" He asked, bitterly.

"Yeah." Kuroo snickered. "Yeah, I'm done."

"What did you want, man?" Bokuto asked, impatiently. 

"Do you want a coffee? I'm gonna come join you in your little stake-out thing." Kuroo laughed lightly. "You know, keep you company, be your wingman."

"Dude, thank you so much!" He grins into the phone. "Can you bring me a pair of gloves too? I sorta forgot mine."

"It's freezing outside, and you forgot your gloves. Are you stupid or something?" Kuroo asked, amusement laced into his voice. 

"Or something." Bokuto said, simply. "Bring a disguise. We don't want to be recognized if he looks at us."

"Are you seriously wearing sunglasses right now?" 

"How did you know?!" Bokuto asked, bewildered. Kuroo snorted, and chuckled. 

"I'll be there in ten." 

"Thanks again, bro." He hung up the phone, smiling to himself. He had the greatest best friend ever.

\--

Kuroo walked over to Bokuto, also wearing a pair of sunglasses and wearing a warm, red leather jacket and black gloves. He topped the look off with a grey beanie, and was carrying a coffee and a paper bag.

"Yo." He grinned, joining his friend in his crouched position behind the ugly bushes. He reached into his pocket and handed Bokuto a pair of gloves, which Bokuto took gratefully.

"Thanks man." Bokuto said as he pulled on the gloves. Kuroo then handed him the hot coffee and the paper bag, which Bokuto discovered had a doughnut inside. 

"Because I'm awesome." Kuroo explained, chuckling as Bokuto thanked him and started eating. 

The two quieted down, keeping watch for Akaashi and chatting softly to one another. Bokuto turned to his phone for the time when Kuroo nudged him.

"Is that him?" He asked, motioning to three men walking up the road.

Bokuto looked up, seeing him at long last. He was still so beautiful, so perfect. Akaashi was talking to a taller man, with brown hair and there was a shorter man beside him with his head down, staring at what from this distance looked like some sort of portable game console. The small one's hair was dyed blonde, and his roots needed a dye treatment. Akaashi was smiling that slight smile of his that made Bokuto's heart pound hard and his cheeks tint pink. Luckily, this time, Bokuto could blame his flushed cheeks on the cold.

"Uh.. Yeah, that's definitely him." Bokuto snapped himself out of his daze, watching as the tall friend and Akaashi waved their goodbyes to the shorter one and started towards the building.

"Aww, the little blondie isn't coming." Kuroo pouted, drawing Bokuto's attention. "I was sorta hoping that Blondie was a skater too."

"What? Why?" Bokuto asked, glancing back to watch them disappear into the building. 

"The little blonde one was cute." He said, grinning to himself. "Like a kitten."

"Now who's being gross?" Bokuto rolled his eyes and stood up, Kuroo following suit. Bokuto stuffed his blanket back in his bag before he followed Akaashi and his friend into the building, catching their backs as they went around a corner. 

Kuroo and Bokuto followed the two of them back to where the ice rink was. Akaashi and his friend went down to the ice's entrance, and Kuroo pulled Bokuto into the entrance that lead to the stands that surrounded the ice. 

"Why're we up here?" Bokuto whispered loudly. "I want to go talk to Akaashi." 

"If you go upto him right now, it'll seem suspicious." Kuroo chided, shoving him into a seat. "Besides, this way we'll get to see your precious Akaashi in action."

Bokuto nodded in understanding, looking back at the ice as Kuroo sat beside him. They both took off their sunglasses. "I just wish I could get closer." Bokuto grumbled.

"You don't want to get caught, do you?" Kuroo deadpanned.

"No.." he took his scarf off and waited (although he wasn't very patient) for Akaashi to come onto the ice. Kuroo seemed to find his impatience incredibly amusing and was huffing out almost-silent laughter at Bokuto's discomfort.

After a while, an older man came out onto the ice, followed by Akaashi and his friend. 

"That must be their coach." Kuroo said, nodding to himself as he watched the coach talk to them before the two stood side by side, next to him. 

There was the sound of a blowing whistle and Akaashi skated forward in a running motion before he leapt into the air, did a short rotation, and landed on the ice, backwards. Bokuto leaned forward, watching as the whistle blew again and Akaashi's friend repeated the same thing. They appeared to be doing some sort of drills; the whistle blew, and they did the move. Repeating each move three or four times before the coach shouted something and they switched to another. 

Bokuto watched the two of them skate, noticing how fluid each of their motions were, but also their differences. Akaashi's friend's moves were more precise, perfectly executed movements, looking like he'd calculated every step and took it accordingly. But Akaashi, even if he messed up the movement, he made it look like it was on purpose. His motions were more graceful and more beautiful than anything Bokuto had seen before.

Kuroo whistled lowly. "Looks like your boy's got some talent behind him." He commented, and Bokuto couldn't help but nod.

The whistle blew long and loud and the two skaters skid to a stop. The coach motioned for them to follow him off the ice and he was talking to them, but from Bokuto's and Kuroo's distance, the words were nothing more that a warbled echo. The two exchanged a look, Bokuto's eyes shining brightly.

"You seem to be having fun." Kuroo commented with a smirk. 

"Did you not see how beautiful he is?" Bokuto asked, excitedly. He was practically vibrating in his seat, his entire being radiated a sense of childlike wonder. "He is so poise, and elegant and flexible and-"

"I get it." Kuroo grinned, patting his friend on the back. "I think we're going to be seeing their personal routines now." 

Bokuto's grinned widely, looking back down at the ice. He never really took an interest in figure skating before now, and he didn't know any of the names of the moves, or the exact way it was supposed to be done. But what he did know was that Akaashi was beautiful, and elegant. He also knew that he wanted nothing more but to watch him skate solo.

The first routine was Akaashi's friend's(which thoroughly disappointed Bokuto, only because he wanted to see Akaashi skate.) Some kind of American pop music played from the speakers, to which the man on the ice had his routine timed to perfectly. His feet moved in time with the bass, and his jumps and spins seemed to match the lyrics somehow. The higher the voices went, the faster the moves.

Bokuto watched as the music ended and the man skid to a stop in the very center of the ice with his hands held high in the air. He heaved heavy breaths from the fast pace his music and routine had and dropped his arms slowly; then he skated to the edge. He high-fived Akaashi, as he left the ice. 

Akaashi looked out at the ice, and sighed visibly from where Bokuto was sitting and watching him. Bokuto couldn't help but take a breath as a soft, classical music started to play through the speakers and Akaashi descended onto the ice. There were a lot of strings in the music, and as Bokuto watched Akaashi move, he swore his blades were what was playing them. 

Akaashi leaps and turns, and his arms stretch out so Bokuto thinks it looks like he's flying. He lands in a spin, folding down over himself and it looks more like a dance than it does an ice routine. He watched as Akaashi's legs moved in elegant strokes, pushing him up into the air and catching him at the end of each jump. There's a move where Akaashi has his back arched and his leg extended back, and his head tipped back as if he were in ecstasy, all while his body was completely parallel to the ice under his blades. Bokuto couldn't help but swallow thickly as he watched him. Akaashi seemed to be lost in the music and the routine as the tempo picks up. He moved faster, faster and Bokuto's heart raced as Akaashi jumped and span quickly in the air, landing and turning, switching feet as he reached the center of the ice. He watched him spin with one leg extended in front of him, the other crouching into an almost sitting position, before he slowed to a stop along with the music.

Bokuto licked his lips and put his hand over his heavily beating heart as he watched Akaashi leave the ice. He was overcome by emotion and looked over at Kuroo, who looked almost just as amazed. Almost.

"Whoa." Bokuto said as he stood up, trying not to blush but failing miserably.

"Uh, yeah. He was absolutely stunning." Kuroo nodded in agreement, stretching and standing up as well. He smirked at Bokuto's expression. "You can really pick 'em, can't you?" Kuroo chuckled, patting Bokuto on the back.

"I can't do this.." Bokuto blurts out, gripping a seat in the row in front of him. He looked at Kuroo with his eyes wide. "How can I talk to him after seeing that?"

"What are you saying?" Kuroo blinked. "You just saw one of the most dramatic things to ever touch the ice, and you waited here since dawn to see him. You're going to talk to him." 

Bokuto was about to argue, but Kuroo grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out into the hallway. He dragged him down the hall towards the exit before he turned them around and started walking back in the direction in which they came. 

They met them at the corner of the hallway junction, Kuroo letting go of Bokuto's arm just in time for him and Akaashi to make eye contact and freeze where they both stood.

"Bokuto-san?" Akaashi blinked in surprise at seeing him, and immediately his friend's eyes had a hint of mischief to them that rivaled even Kuroo's grin, which was still plastered on his face.

"Akaashi.." Bokuto gulped, dryly.


	5. He Likes Owls

Akaashi walked down the hallway after he finished his routine, nursing his water bottle. He turns to Oikawa and smiled at him as he closed his water bottle. He still felt the adrenaline from skating in his body, and it made him feel almost giddy.

"You performed well today," He said, nudging Oikawa with his shoulder.

"You did too, you practically brought Coach to tears, Keiji-chan." Oikawa draped his arm over Akaashi's shoulder and ruffled his hair fondly, grinning at him.

Akaashi pulled away from him laughing and turned the corner, stopping short when he almost bumped into someone. He looked up and his eyes widened slightly when he saw that he'd almost literally bumped into none other than the tall, attractive man from the locker room. "Bokuto-san?" 

"Akaashi.." They locked eyes, Bokuto's amber eyes bored into his and he started to feel incredibly self conscious. Bokuto visibly swallowed and Akaashi watched the bob of his Adam's apple. He felt his mouth go dry.

"It's uh.. it's funny running into you again." Akaashi smiled shyly, glancing down and fiddling with his water bottle and shifting his gym bag on his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, it is." Bokuto grinned, although he looked like he was uncomfortable when Akaashi glanced back up at him. 

"Oh, Keiji-chan!" Oikawa tapped his shoulder, pulling his attention to him. Akaashi had a bad feeling when he looked up at Oikawa and saw the evil look in his eyes. "I have to go meet Iwa-chan. I'll see you later." Oikawa winked at him with a mischievous smirk. Then he skipped off before Akaashi could protest.

"It's okay, Bo. I can take it from here." The tall person beside Bokuto said as he excused himself, walking past him and suddenly they were alone. Oh God.

When Akaashi looked back at Bokuto, he was watching him. He blushed, looking down quickly. "Is.. is he a friend of yours?" Bokuto asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh, you mean Oikawa? Yeah, we have the same coach." Akaashi said with a slight smile. "We've known each other since we were children." 

After he said that, Bokuto seemed to relax, nodding with a warm smile. "So um.. Hinata-kun mentioned you're good at skating. Are you, by chance.. a figure skater?"

Akaashi nodded. "I suppose you wouldn't know much about it.. You're with the hockey team, right?" He chuckled to himself. 

Bokuto nodded. "I am. I don't know much about figure skating at all, but I do think that it's pretty cool. I don't have the grace for it, though." The honesty in his voice and his grin made Akaashi blush slightly.

"You do?" Akaashi asked, eyebrows raising in surprise. "I've never met a hockey player that considered figure skating a real sport."

Bokuto chuckled, and the sound was like music to Akaashi's ears. He wanted to listen to it forever. "Well, we're both men of the ice. We should respect each other."

"I'm glad we agree." Akaashi smiled, tucking a stray curl behind his ear. "So uh.. What type of training do you guys do?" 

"Weight training and running mostly, other than our usual practice." Bokuto's eyes fell to Akaashi's chest and he suddenly smiled brightly. 

Akaashi blinked, looking down, curious as to what Bokuto was smiling at. He noticed that he had an owl design on his sweater, and smiled softly, looking back up at Bokuto. "Do.. You like owls?" He asked, tilting his head to one side, watching Bokuto's expression shift from happy, to surprised, to embarrassed and back to happy. He found the purity of his expressions endearing. "I like them, too. They're cute, and beautiful."

He grinned widely. "You do? That's awesome!" Akaashi felt his cheeks heat up and his mouth curled into a slight smile. He couldn't help himself. Bokuto's happiness was like Shouyou's: very contagious.

"W-Well, I really should get going.." He said softly, needing to get out of here before he embarrassed himself. He went to walk around him, but Bokuto stepped in front of him. 

"Hey, w-wait a second, Akaashi." Bokuto's warm eyes pinned him in place and he looked up at him. "Would.. Uh.. would you like to hang out sometime? Like.. I have this really cool owl documentary, or we could do whatever you like! I-I mean.. uh.."

Akaashi watched him switch between confident expressions and nervous ones, and couldn't help giggling lightly, holding his hand in front of his mouth. Bokuto stopped rambling when he laughed, and blushed slightly. 

"I-I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to be rude." He said between giggles. "I'd love to hang out sometime. I'm interested in this documentary of yours." 

"Oh, n-no, you weren't at-!!" Bokuto suddenly broke into a wide smile. "You would? Really? Yes!! I-I mean.. cool."

Akaashi held his hand out. "I'll give you my number, so you can contact me when you decide what you'd like to do."

It took a moment but Bokuto finally understood that he wanted his phone and handed it over to him. Akaashi smiled slightly to himself at the photo of 3 baby barn owls as the background photo. He saved his own number to Bokuto's phone before he handed it back. "You're all set, Bokuto-san." 

Bokuto looked at his phone with an insane amount of pride before he looked up at Akaashi. "May I get a photo to set as your contact ID?" He asked, rubbing his neck as he looked away.

"Yeah, that's fine." 

Bokuto grinned and held up his phone. "Thanks, Akaashi. Smile~" Akaashi smiled warmly, and Bokuto's cheeks turned pink as he took the photo. 

"I'm really sorry, but I really do need to go now." Akaashi excused himself. "I'll see you, Bokuto-san." He waved as he quickly walked off, feeling his face in both hands after he was sure Bokuto couldn't see him anymore. Oh God, his face was so hot. He walked out of the building, turning to walk to the kindergarten, bumping right into Oikawa. 

"You said.. You were meeting Iwaizumi-san." Akaashi said after a moment of staring at his friend in disbelief; he felt his temper flare. "You left me alone with him! Oh my God, you're horrible.."

"How'd it go?" Oikawa grinned, with absolutely no trace of guilt on his face. 

"He.. asked me to hang out sometime." Akaashi blushed darkly. "Oh my God.. he asked me to hang out with him." The realization of the situation was setting in, and he couldn't believe it. He stared at his hands, he felt shell-shocked. "And.. I gave him my phone number." 

Oikawa grinned and slinged his arm over Akaashi's shoulder. "So it went well." They started their way to the kindergarten. "This is the part where you thank me. I'm such a good friend, you can say it."

"A friend who throws his friends to the wolves isn't a good friend." Akaashi said lowly, frowning at Oikawa's arrogant expression. 

"I'll take that as a compliment, Keiji-chan." He grinned.

\--

As Akaashi ran off, Bokuto stared after him. After Akaashi disappeared through the doors, Bokuto felt someone tap at his shoulder and looked back to see Kuroo standing next to him. 

"I'm proud of you, Bo. You talked to him." Kuroo grinned widely.

"I did more than that, dude. I got his phone number." Bokuto said proudly, waving his phone in front of his best friend's face. "I got his fucking number, Kuroo!" He laughed. "And he let me get a photo, look!" Bokuto grinned and pulled up the photo he got of Akaashi, showing it to his friend.

"Oh, man. He's so fucking into you. Look at the way he looked at you." Kuroo zoomed in on Akaashi's face. "See that smile? That was directed at you, my friend."

"I know. I was there." Bokuto sighed. "And dude.. You won't believe this. He likes owls." 

"It's destiny." Kuroo laughed, clapping his friend fondly on the back. 

"Bro, when I asked him if he wanted to hang out, he gave me his phone number and said 'call me when you figure out what you'd like to do.' Man, he's so smooth." Bokuto ran his hand through his hair. "I need to come up with an awesome date so I can wow him back."

Kuroo chuckled. "You've got this, man." He smirked. "If this works out, I might be able to meet the blonde for real." He teased.

"You're horrible, using my potential relationship to try and get yourself a boyfriend." He looked at Kuroo with a look of mock-disgust.

Kuroo put his hand over his heart. "You know I love you, man. I'd never impose on your love life."

"I know, bro." Bokuto's sets his hand on Kuroo's shoulder. "I know."

\--

Oikawa and Akaashi walked into the kindergarten and to Suga's classroom. Suga was just cleaning up from the day's class and disinfecting the surfaces with wipes. There had been a short day of school today, and Shouyou had gone over to Tobio's house for a play date. 

"Kou-chan~" Oikawa called as they walked in, and Suga looked up with a smile.

"What's up, guys?" Suga asked, blinking when he saw Akaashi's cheeks darken. 

"We ran into the infamous 'Bokuto-san' today." Oikawa grinned. "And he's totally into our boy here."

"What are you saying?! There are no signs that he is even remotely interested in me!" Akaashi raised his voice just a little as he spoke. 

"Oikawa-kun, I have a feeling you've pissed him off." Suga said, raising his brow worriedly. They both knew Akaashi well enough that he knew that he almost never raised his voice. Akaashi was usually really calm and level headed, so if he seemed frustrated at all, something really was bothering him. "What happened, Akaashi-kun?"

"Oikawa left me alone with him." He pointed his finger at him accusingly, cheeks inflamed. "I was so nervous. I ended up giving Bokuto-san my phone number. What if I did it wrong? Oh my God I want to die."

"So you're mad because?" Suga asked.

"Because he threw me to the wolves! I've already been checking my phone every ten minutes for a call. I'm so screwed.. not only did I give the man my number, but he's super nice." Akaashi groaned, running his hands through his hair. "And he likes owls, and he invited me out, and oh my God." He looked at Suga with a look of pure terror. "What do I do?! I haven't dated anyone since college! What if I'm misreading the signals?"

Suga grabbed Akaashi by the shoulders. "Calm down."

Oikawa shrugged. "From what I saw, he's just as smitten with you as you are with him. I thought you'd rather be alone with him than have me hanging around you and being a cock block."

"Akaashi. You know as well as I do that Oikawa has this uncanny ability to tell when people are into each other." Suga sighed, and Akaashi looked down, blushing. 

"I'm just so nervous. I can't remember the last time I was attracted to someone like this." He groaned. "He's like.. so simple, but it's cute." 

Suga chuckled, hugging Akaashi. "Don't worry, ok?" 

"Yeah, alright.." Akaashi sighed, looking at Oikawa. "Sorry.. I kinda freaked out."

"Its ok, Keiji-chan. I'm not mad~" Oikawa grinned. "I wouldn't have left you alone if I had doubts about you two."

Akaashi nodded, rubbing his neck. "Thanks.." Suddenly, his phone starts to vibrate in his pocket and he blushed darkly. "Oh God. Um.." He picked up his phone and stared at the unknown number before he answered it. "Hello?"

"Akaashi, it's Bokuto." The soft smile that came to Akaashi's lips at the sound of his voice was reactionary, and both Suga and Oikawa shared a grin.

"Hello, Bokuto-san." His cheeks flushed lightly.

"So, like.. I was thinking, and there's this bird habitat place I found. They have an owl exhibit, isn't that cool?!" Bokuto sounded really excited, and Akaashi couldn't help the stupid smile that split across his face and he laughed. 

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." Suga and Oikawa leaned closer to Akaashi to hear what Bokuto was saying and Akaashi had to walk out of their range.

"So.. when's a good time for you, Akaashi?" Bokuto asked, chuckling.

"Um. How about Sunday?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at his friends who were raising their eyebrows suggestively. 

"Sounds good. I'll text you the details later, Akaashi." Bokuto laughed lightly. 

"Alright. Talk to you later." He said. "Bye."

"Bye, Akaashi!" Bokuto hung up and Akaashi did the same, saving the phone number into his phone.

"Oh, Akaashi-kun. I didn't realize how serious it was." Suga shook his head, smirking. "You've got it bad."

"So, what's happening on Sunday, hmm?" Oikawa asked, grinning widely.

"Er.. we're going to.. an owl exhibit?" Akaashi blushed, embarrassedly. 

Oikawa snorted and laughed. "Oh God, you've found someone as owl-crazy as you." 

Suga shrugs. "It must be destiny."

"Oh, shut up.." Akaashi pouted a bit. "You guys are dicks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your kind comments on this!! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!!


	6. You Don't Mind?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi meet up for their "date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE RESPONSE TO THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!   
> I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH

Sunday came upon Akaashi, both agonizingly slowly, and far too fast. He wanted to meet up with Bokuto, but at the same time, he didn't want to see him. Bokuto had gotten into the habit of texting Akaashi several times a day, and each time his name appeared on the screen of his phone, Akaashi's heart began to beat erratically in his chest. He was scared. He was excited. And each message from him was so endearing that his usually calm demeanor was replaced with goofy smiles.

The messages were often random, just little statements about his day, or asking Akaashi about his. One thing Akaashi had noticed, was Bokuto had this uncanny ability to stumble upon owl-themed items. He'd take photos of them and send them to Akaashi with little captions attached to them, like 'Hey, Akaashi! I saw this guy on my way to practice!' or 'Isn't this one funny?' 

The phone buzzed from its spot on the dresser, and Akaashi dropped the shirt he was holding onto the bed and walked over, seeing Bokuto's name on the phone once again. He picked up the phone and smiled to himself as he opened the message.

From: Bokuto-san  
11:48AM  
Hey hey hey~  
Can't wait to see the exhibit!   
Are we still meeting in front of the ice rink?

Akaashi sighed softly, and typed back a message. He found Bokuto's excitement incredibly cute.

To: Bokuto-san   
11:50AM  
Yes, see you at 1.

He set the phone back down after he sent the message to Bokuto and walked back over to his closet. He stared into his closet with an increasing amount of anxiety. Akaashi ran his hand through his air and sighed, feeling like a complete idiot. Was this even a date? He groaned, shaking his head and looking back at the bed where a growing pile of clothing had been haphazardly discarded. He felt ridiculous, like a love-sick teenager. 

A soft knocking on his bedroom door pulled him from his thoughts. "Yeah?" He called, turning back to see Kenma had poked his head through the doorway. 

"Koushi and Tooru are here." Kenma said softly, before he stumbled into the room with Oikawa's arm draped around his shoulders.

"Hi~ Keiji-chan." Oikawa sang, with one hand on his hip.

"Oikawa-kun, you shouldn't do that to Kozume-kun." Suga called exasperatedly as he followed Oikawa and Kenma into the room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Akaashi asked, stepping between them and the bed embarrassedly.

"Making sure you look cute for your date with Owl-kun." Oikawa grinned widely.

"It's not a date." Akaashi sighed, rubbing his neck. "We're going to the bird habitat for the owl exhibit. That's all."

"Just shut up and let us help you dress." Suga chuckled.

"You have been in here all morning.." Kenma spoke up quietly. Suga and Oikawa grinned at Kenma's input.

Akaashi was surprised when Kenma took Oikawa and Suga's side on this, considering he's usually very quiet and passive. He figured that he was acting ridiculous if even Kenma made a comment about how long it was taking him to pick out an outfit.

He watched as Oikawa and Suga went to his closet and Kenma sat on the edge of his bed. The two demons were talking to themselves, holding up different articles of clothing and matching them together. Akaashi sighed and sat on the opposite side of the bed as Kenma, watching his friends debate his potential look.

"You need to relax, Keiji." Kenma said, so quietly that Akaashi thought he'd imagined it, but when he looked up, Kenma was staring at him. "He won't care what you wear." Kenma's words were reassuring, and his expression was much softer than usual. Kenma smiled very slightly before he looked down.

"Thanks." Akaashi felt himself smile softly, but he was soon yanked off the bed by Oikawa. Suga was holding clothes against him to see how a few combinations worked out. 

Eventually Oikawa and Suga agreed on a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved grey-black shirt with a gold geometric pattern on the front. They coupled it with a pair of black boots, a gold earring, and a white and gold scarf.

"Now get dressed." Oikawa said after they handed him the items. 

Suga ushered everyone out, saying something about privacy that caused Oikawa to laugh. Akaashi got dressed and looked himself over in the full-length mirror on the back of his door. He had to admit that Oikawa and Suga did a good job at matching them together, and blushed to himself. He wondered if Bokuto would like how he looked. The first time they'd met, he was wearing clothes he didn't really care much for, and the second time he was wearing exercise attire.

He combed his fingers through his short hair and took a breath before he came out of his room. Oikawa and Suga seemed pleased with their work and Kenma had sat himself on the hallway floor and was playing a game on his PSP.

"Perfect, if I do say so myself." Oikawa grinned, receiving a nod in approval from Suga.

"Thanks guys, really.. I appreciate it." Akaashi said shyly. 

"Don't thank us. Go have fun with your 'friend.' Don't run away." Suga said with a grin, before Kenma looked up at him, only to look back down with a slight smile.

"Oh, wear your black coat. You're going for dark and mysterious." Oikawa grinned.

It didn't take much longer before Akaashi was being shoved out the door by his friends, and he was on his way to meet up with Bokuto. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and his fingers shook lightly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets to keep them from shaking. He was actually doing this. Oh God, he was doing this. He was overwhelmed with fear, and panic, but he kept walking towards the rink. Something inside him told him that he needed to do this.

\--

He made the turn to the ice rink and saw him standing there, in front of the building. His first thought was of how someone like Bokuto was legally allowed to exist. He must be a safety hazard. From his two-toned, upright hair, to his height, to his build, his jaw, his eyes, his voice. Akaashi felt himself blush and kept walking toward Bokuto.

"Good afternoon, Bokuto-san." He smiled shyly as he approached him, Bokuto looked at him and his face broke into a wide grin. Those wide, amber eyes seemed to make something warm inside his chest.

"Akaashi, are you ready to go?" Bokuto asked, his voice loud, but warm. Everything about him seemed so warm, and it was melting away his fear.

'I'm so fucked.' Akaashi thought as he made eye contact with him and nodded slowly. Bokuto started to talk about something and all Akaashi could concentrate on was the way his lips formed around each syllable. He couldn't believe how incredibly thirsty he was for this man he barely knew. He followed Bokuto as he lead them to the train station, he did his best to listen to the conversation and respond accordingly. Akaashi almost tripped over himself when Bokuto stopped to fish something out of his pocket.

"For you." Bokuto said, smiling warmly as he held out a small, plastic package. 

Akaashi looked up at him. "You didn't need to get me anything." He said, attempting to calm his heavily beating heart by letting out a sigh. 

"You said it was cute so I went back and found it for you." He grinned. "Here." He took Akaashi's hand and pushed the package into it, and Akaashi swore he turned 15 shades of red at the contact. If Bokuto noticed anything, he didn't show it. 

Akaashi looked at the small package in his hand, and his eyes widened. Inside was a small phone charm. It was beaded and had a cute horned owl figure at the end. He looked up at Bokuto and couldn't help the small, almost inaudible "thank you" that spilt from his lips. 

Bokuto grinned bashfully, laughing lightly. "I'm glad you like it." 

"It's really cute.." He said softly, pulling it out of the package to put it on his phone. He stuffed the package into his jeans pocket and attached the charm to his cell, holding it up to model it for Bokuto. 

Bokuto's face was a complex plethora of emotion, ranging from happy to embarrassed and at least 40 other emotions. "I'm so glad you like it!" Bokuto said again, louder this time.

It wasn't a minute afterwards that Akaashi's phone started to ring and he looked down at the screen and saw his sister's name on the screen. 

"Sorry, Bokuto-san. I need to take this, it's my sister." He said apologetically.

Bokuto shook his head and chuckled. "Don't worry about it."

Akaashi smiled softly as he answered the phone. "What is it, neechan?" He said pleasantly, looking at Bokuto from the corner of his eye.

There was the sound of bustling around as his sister talked to his nephew. "Keiji, thank God you answered." She said, sighing softly.

"Why? What is it?" Akaashi's heart stopped, knowing what that voice meant.

"I need you to take Shouyou." Suzume said, exasperation evident in her voice. "I was called into work suddenly. How fast can you get here?"

Akaashi frowned, and noticed Bokuto's mood shift. "I um.. I can't- I'm kind of busy." The line was quiet for a few seconds.

"You can't?" She asked, breaking the silence and sounding surprised. "What are you saying?"

"I can't, I already made plans for today." Akaashi confirmed, feeling anxious and hoping his voice didn't show it. He shoved his free hand into his pocket to keep it from shaking.

"I really need you to take him, I have no other options. I can't take him to the restaurant with me." She said, irritation laced into her voice so Akaashi felt incredibly guilty.

Bokuto tapped Akaashi on the shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asked softly when Akaashi looked up at him.

"She wants me to take Shouyou. I'm really sorry Bokuto-san.." Akaashi sighed. He felt like he blew this chance to get to know Bokuto, and frowned.

"We can bring him with us." Bokuto said, shocking Akaashi. He blinked and looked up at him again, searching for some sign that he didn't want Shouyou to come, and finding nothing. "He's a good kid, I don't mind."

Akaashi was quiet for a moment and nodded slowly. "Thank you." He whispered, feeling emotional but he didn't show it, he hoped.

"Keiji, are you there?" Suzume called, drawing his attention back to her. 

Akaashi blushed a bit, and stammered before he was finally able to speak. "Yeah, I'm coming. I um.. I'll be there in about 20 minutes."

"Thank you. I'll make sure Shouyou's ready." She said before she hung up.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Akaashi asked, searching for the slightest bit of hesitation from Bokuto but he found none.

"Yeah, Hinata kind of introduced us. I don't mind him coming along." Bokuto grinned, and Akaashi nodded.

"Thanks." Akaashi sighed, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. "I didn't want to have to cancel this."

"Yeah, me neither." Bokuto answered, and the honesty in his voice made Akaashi's heart flutter. 

\--

Bokuto walked beside Akaashi, grinning to himself whenever he found Akaashi looking in his direction. Akaashi had been relatively quiet, listening to Bokuto talk and talk as Akaashi lead the way to his sister's place. Now that he thought about it, it was sort of weird for someone's uncle to take them on a field trip, and he let his curiosity get the better of him.

"Hey, um.. if you don't mind me asking, what do Hinata-kun's parents do?" Bokuto asked, and Akaashi paused briefly to look up at him, his eyes holding the usual amount of composure he'd grown accustomed to in the short time he'd known him.

"Parent." He corrected. "It's just my sister. She works as a waitress, and a receptionist in a doctor's office."

"Hinata has a different surname. Did his father pass away?" Bokuto asked, blinking when Akaashi shook his head.

"He left." Akaashi said, his mouth twisting as if he tasted something bitter. "He divorced my sister, and we haven't heard a thing from him in more than a year." He resumed walking. 

"Wow." Bokuto nodded, following him. "So, he doesn't even try to help with his son?" 

"Not at all." Akaashi sighed. "I've been stepping in, and helping her. Suzume is stubborn though. She won't accept any sort of financial help, from anyone." Bokuto nodded, listening to Akaashi's smooth voice. "Shouyou needs looking after, though. He's still young. So while Suzume works, I do my best to be there for Shouyou."

"So.. What does she do if you're unavailable?" Bokuto asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I um.. I've never turned her down. Shouyou needs me, so I can't really.. um.. say no." Akaashi tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and for the first time, Bokuto noticed he had a pierced ear, and found it very distracting.

"You tried to today, though." Bokuto said, trying to think of something that wasn't the earring in Akaashi's ear, even as his eyes kept finding their way to it. How could he have missed such an important detail?

"I did. I um.." Akaashi's face turned scarlet and he nervously played with his fingers, an action that was incredibly cute. "I never really had something I wanted to do badly enough.. to tell her no."

Bokuto felt his heart beat hard, even in the tips of his toes. He wanted to reach out and take Akaashi's hand, to show him how happy he was that he actually wanted to see him. But he didn't. He just marvelled in the wonder of the beautiful man beside him. Watching him, and wondering how he could be so lucky as to exist at the same time as him.

"You wanted to come out with me." Bokuto finally said, grinning. 

"I-I did, yes.." Akaashi admitted.

Akaashi lead him down a stone path to a small house, and knocked twice before he opened the door, stepping in just a bit. "Neechan, Shouyou?" He called, and a ball of orange hair peeked around the corner.

"Keiji-ojichan!" Hinata said with a grin. "I'll get Mommy!" He ran off and Bokuto chuckled.

"He's as energetic as ever." He said, and Akaashi nodded, smiling gently.

"He's a very special person to me." Akaashi said fondly, blushing softly. 

Bokuto was about to say something when he saw a beautiful woman appear from around the corner. "Thank you Keiji." She said, her voice was soft and she looked a lot like Akaashi, only shorter, thinner, and with softer edges. She was older by probably 5 or 6 years, and it showed on her face. She had long, straight hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and her eyes landed on Bokuto as she pulled on her shoes. Never before had he felt a gaze as cold as her's.

"It was no trouble, neechan." Akaashi answered.

"Shouyou will be out in a minute." She said, standing back up. Her eyes narrow slightly as she looked over at Bokuto again. For some reason he felt like an insect under her stare. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Bokuto-san." Akaashi said, sounding incredibly uncomfortable. He glanced to Bokuto, and smiled softly before he looked back at his sister.

"It's nice to meet you." Bokuto said, flashing a grin to try to lighten the mood. Something wasn't sitting right with him, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Suzume seemed unamused, and nodded a bit. "Nice to meet you too." She said blandly, pulling on her coat. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to go now." She walked past them and Akaashi ran his hand through his hair. "And Keiji, we really need to catch up. Let's grab coffee when we both have the time." She said without looking at him, before she walked down the street.

"She seems.. nice." Bokuto smiled politely, but Akaashi for the first time looked incredibly upset when he met his eyes.

"You don't have to lie. She was cold, just now. I'm really, very sorry about that." Akaashi sighed softly. 

"Its ok.." Bokuto said nervously. "You don't need to apologize for her." 

"You're too kind Bokuto-san." Akaashi said with a gentle smile, although there was something sad behind it. Bokuto wanted to chase that sadness away. He couldn't, he didn't know how. Still, there was the slightest urge that made him want to do it anyway.

Before Bokuto could come up with something to say, Hinata appeared and Akaashi crouched down, motioning to Bokuto. "Shouyou, do you remember Bokuto-san?" He asked.

Hinata grinned and nodded. "He's the musclely guy from the field trip. Why is he here, Keiji-ojichan?"

Bokuto crouched down and grins at Hinata. "Well, thanks to you, your uncle and I are friends, now. And we're going to go somewhere cool. Just us three."

"Doesn't that sound fun?" Akaashi's real smile was back now as he spoke to his nephew, who nodded excitedly.

"Where are we going?" He asked, grinning widely and bouncing on his heels. Bokuto chuckled, watching as Akaashi made sure Shouyou's shoes were tied and his coat was zipped up properly.

"Somewhere where we'll get to see lots of cool birds from around the world. Big ones too, like hawks and eagles." Bokuto said, and Hinata's eyes sparkled. 

"I didn't know there were places like that." He said, his voice a loud whisper as if he'd just been told about a burried treasure.

Akaashi chuckled softly. "Let's go, then." He said, kindly, taking his nephew's hand as he stood up.

Hinata grabbed Bokuto's hand as well. "Yeah! I knew I liked you." He said to Bokuto, flashing a smile as bright as the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this, I'm so happy with the response thus far!!   
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Birds of a Feather

The habitats that the birds lived in were huge, and each of them were exquisitely detailed. There was a chart in front of each exhibit, listing the birds, example photos, and a few details about each species. The glass separating the hallways from the habitats were about 15cms thick, but Akaashi, Bokuto and Shouyou couldn't tell from looking into them.

Shouyou was sitting on Bokuto's shoulders, looking on excitedly as Akaashi pointed to different species of birds and read off the charts. Akaashi watched as Shouyou leaned forward, keeping unusually quiet as if he were scared that if he spoke too loudly, the birds would fly away.

"Pretty.." Shouyou said as they came upon a habitat for these vibrant colorful birds from China. Most of them were orange with red chests and with royal blue feathers towards the bend of their wings. They were indeed beautiful. Akaashi smiled and looked down at the chart, finding the name of the bird.

"That one's called the Golden Pheasant." Akaashi said gently, watching as Shouyou nodded. He reached out and put his tiny hand against the glass, giggling when one of the beautiful birds looked at him and ruffled it's feathers.

"What do you like most about it?" Bokuto asked, looking up at the boy on his shoulders. 

"It's got pretty colors.. I like orange." Shouyou answered, then he proceeded to explain why he liked the color orange to Bokuto. Bokuto nodded as he listened to Shouyou talk, and responded when prompted to. Akaashi watched the two interact, and felt his heart flutter in his chest. Bokuto was surprisingly good with children, and Akaashi couldn't help the smile that had worked it's way onto his face over the course of the afternoon. 

Akaashi and Bokuto walked from exhibit to exhibit, explaining the birds to Shouyou. Shouyou's reactions to the different birds were adorable. He would have entire discussions about the birds with them, and spread his arms out as of he were a bird as Bokuto walked from display to display. Then Shouyou buried his hands into Bokuto's hair as he leaned closer to look at a bird, and looked down at his head curiously. Shouyou stopped moving, surprising them and both Akaashi and Bokuto exchanged a worried expression.

"Hey, Bokuto?" Shouyou asked, suddenly, poking at a piece of Bokuto's hair.

"Yeah?" Bokuto looked up, smiling gently.

"Is your hair always this hard?" He asked. "Is that why your hair sticks up?" Akaashi started laughing as Bokuto's face flushed a dark red. He sighed, looking up at Shouyou with a slightly exasperated expression. 

"No, my hair is soft like yours before I do it like this." He said. "I use gel to get my hair to stay up."

"Really? Can you do my hair like yours?" Shouyou asked, excitedly. "With that jelly stuff? Does it taste like grapes?!"

Bokuto laughed. "No, you're not supposed to eat it. Maybe I'll do your hair another time, ok?"

Shouyou nodded enthusiastically. "I can't wait!!" He giggled.

"Let's go to another display, ok?" Akaashi suggested, only to receive a quick shake of the head from Shouyou. He blinked. "Why not?" Akaashi asked, skillfully hiding the fact that he was disappointed that they hadn't seen the owls yet.

"I'm hungry." He said with a whine. Bokuto nodded and exchanged a glance with Akaashi, his smile blinding.

"Is pizza alright with you guys?" Bokuto asked, taking Shouyou off his shoulders and setting him on the floor. Akaashi smiled when Shouyou nodded excitedly. 

"Shall we go then?" He asked, holding his hand out to his nephew who took it happily with a nod. Akaashi lead them out of the building when he felt his phone vibrate. He picked it up and smiled when he saw Bokuto's name on the screen. He looked over his shoulder at him and Bokuto was smiling guiltily. 

Akaashi chuckled quietly, and opened the text.

From: Bokuto-san   
3:46PM  
Don't worry, we can come back to see the owls another time.

Akaashi blushed softly and smiled, turning back to mouth the words "thank you" to Bokuto. 

\--

They sat at a table, and Hinata chattered on and on about his friends at kindergarten as he ate his pizza messily (much to Akaashi's dismay.) Bokuto watched fondly as Akaashi doted on his nephew, making sure to remind him to use napkins and chew with his mouth closed.

Hinata took a bite of his second piece of pizza. "Tobioh is kinduh ghhrumpy." He continued as he ate. 

"Shouyou. Don't talk with your mouth full." Akaashi reminded him. "It's rude." Hinata made a noise in protest but reluctantly waited to continue his thought until he swallowed his food.

"Sorry, Keiji-ojichan." He said, and Akaashi smiled lightly. "But he's also super cool! He's really fun to play with, even if his face looks funny." Hinata continued to explain who Bokuto assumed was his best friend, as almost every story he told involved Tobio in one way or another.

By the time they'd finished eating, Hinata was getting tired and demanded to be carried. Akaashi carried him piggy-back, and eventually he fell asleep with his forehead pressed to the back of Akaashi's neck. Bokuto smiled lightly, and even though the day wasn't exactly what he'd planned, he'd had a good time.

"You're better with children than I expected." Akaashi spoke quietly, surprising Bokuto. "Shouyou warmed right up to you."

"Well, Hinata is easy to like." Bokuto answered, his own voice hushed.

"You're easy to like, too.." Akaashi said softly, then his face flushed slightly as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud. "And uh.. Thanks for today. I think Shouyou will be talking about this for a while."

"What about you? Did you have fun today?" Bokuto asked, his eyebrows raised up slightly. 

Akaashi nodded slowly, and he smiled. "Even if we didn't get to see the owls, and we had to take Shouyou with us, I had fun." He said, shifting Hinata's weight on his back. Bokuto watched him, and smiled to himself. It was comfortable, being with Akaashi.

"So, um.. would you mind if I invited you out again?" Bokuto asked, hoping that he wasn't coming across as too pushy. He watched as Akaashi looked at him, and his dark eyes shined as they bored into his. His lips curled up into a soft smile.

Akaashi shook his head, and huffed out a quiet laugh. "Of course you can invite me out, but next time, it'll be my treat." 

Bokuto grinned. "Whatever you say, Akaashi."

"You paid for everything this time so I owe you." He explained. "Don't even think about paying for our next outing."

"Okay, okay." Bokuto chuckled, even though he knew that he'd pay for everything, every time if it meant that Akaashi would come out with him again and again.

\--

Akaashi got off the train with Shouyou still fast asleep on his back, and Bokuto following him. He made brief eye contact with Bokuto before he looked away, his face flushed pink. 

"Thank you, again.." Akaashi said with a shy smile.

"No, thank you." Bokuto grinned widely. "Text me when you get back, ok?" 

Akaashi nodded. "I will." He turned to start his way home but couldn't keep himself from looking back and seeing Bokuto's smile once more. He waved at him, and Akaashi nodded back as they parted ways.

Akaashi headed home with his sleeping nephew on his back, and a warm feeling in his core, so calming and comfortable that he barely noticed the chilly evening air. He could feel the heat in his cheeks without needing to touch them physically. He felt happy, happier than he'd felt in a long time without being on the ice. 

And alongside this happiness was the overwhelming sense of fear and loneliness. He'd wanted to spend more time with him. Akaashi wanted to see him laugh, and hear him talk, and be the one that he grinned at more. He wanted so much more, and he felt selfish for wanting it too. He was scared; he hadn't felt this way since high school.

And his sister, Suzume, had noticed something, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He'd tried to tell her that he had plans, and then she was incredibly cold towards Bokuto. He wasn't sure what she thought, but it couldn't have been good. He grew worried, though he hoped it was just him being paranoid. 

It wasn't until Shouyou whined from his back that he was pulled from his conflicting thoughts. He waited for a sound from Shouyou as he kept walking, approaching his apartment building.

"Ojichan.. where's Bokuto?" He mumbled tiredly, sitting up slightly with a yawn.

"He went home, Shouyou. He didn't want to wake you up." Akaashi explained.

"I wanted to play with him more.." his nephew grumbled, his voice groggy from sleeping.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to play with him again." Akaashi assured him, even though he wasn't sure if it was true or not. Akaashi started his way up the 3 flights stairs to his apartment.

"Okay." Shouyou yawned and leaned his head on Akaashi's shoulder.

He opened his apartment door and brought Shouyou inside, setting him down. He knelt down and helped Shouyou out of his shoes before he slid his own off and set them aside neatly.

"Go get ready for your bath, Shouyou." He said as he gently pulled his nephew's coat off.

Shouyou nodded and walked to Akaashi's bedroom to pick out a set of pajamas from the dresser drawer he set aside for him. Kenma appeared in the main hallway and leaned on the wall, watching Akaashi as he hung up both of their coats.

"I thought you were going on a date." Kenma said softly.

"I ended up having to take Shouyou with us. Suzume had to work." Akaashi explained.

"You could have told her no." The quiet reply from Kenma was almost like a jolt of electricity. Akaashi felt his cheeks heat up embarrassedly.

"I tried to. But Suzume got upset, and then Bokuto-san insisted on bringing him with us." Akaashi sighed, looking at his friend. "He.. He's really nice, and Shouyou likes him." 

Kenma nodded and smiled lightly before he said, "It's okay to get what you want, sometimes, Keiji." Akaashi blinked, and nodded slowly at his friend. Kenma turned to head to his room, stopping short when Shouyou ran over and wrapped his little arms around him. 

"Kenma! I saw lots of really cool birds today with Ojichan and Bokuto!" The boy started, explaining everything he could remember about their trip and messing up the names of certain birds. Kenma listened carefully to Shouyou, and responded accordingly, with a gentle smile on his face. For the millionth time, Akaashi noticed how each of his friends treated Shouyou like family, and in a way, he was their family. Akaashi and Oikawa had been friends since they were probably around 10 years old, so they were practically siblings, and Suga treated all his friends like they were his family. Kenma had always had a soft spot for Shouyou, and often let him watch him work or play new games before they hit the market. It was nice, and he knew that he couldn't ask for better friends than them.

\--

Bokuto decided to stop at Kuroo's apartment before going home, since they were just a few rooms apart in their building. He jogged up to Kuroo's door and let himself in. He could feel his grin growing as he easily kicked off his shoes and waltzed into the kitchen. He plucked a can of soda from the fridge and sat on the counter, kicking his legs like a kid. 

He couldn't believe that Akaashi had basically promised that there'd be a second date. Well, maybe tonight wasn't technically a date anymore, but he'd get to go out with Akaashi again. He couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face, nor did he want to. He popped open the can of soda and took a swig.

"Kuroo!!" He called, laughing. "Get your ass out here!" 

It didn't take long before Kuroo emerged from his bedroom, wearing sweats and a black tank top. "What do you want, Bo? Geez.." He looked like he'd just been dead asleep. 

"I'm here to tell my best friend about my sort-of date." Bokuto grinned widely.

"Sort of?" Kuroo asked, raising his eyebrows. "What on earth does that mean?"

"It means that the kid came on our date." Bokuto said.

"Oh, man.. You've been friend-zoned." Kuroo looked disappointed. "Sorry, man."

"No, it was a last minute thing, there was no way around it. Akaashi was so cute, Kuroo." Bokuto sighed. "And he said, 'next time.' That means he wants to see me again."

"Wait.. start over. Tell me the whole thing." Kuroo said, sitting beside Bokuto on the counter. Bokuto grinned widely and looked at his soda, before his phone chimed in his pocket.

"Just a sec.." Bokuto said, picking up his phone and tapping on the message he'd just received.

From: Akaashi   
7:13PM  
I'm home now. Thanks again for today. Let me know what you'd like to do next time we go out

Bokuto's face turned bright red and he showed Kuroo his text. "See?" He was smiling like an idiot and laughing.

Kuroo smiled at the message, and looked up at his dumb friend. "I want details about this not-date. Spill it, bro." Bokuto then told him about everything, from Akaashi's reaction to the phone charm, to his sister, to Hinata, to the birds, and everything in between. He didn't leave out a single detail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to the last chapter was so nice!! Thank you guys for your wonderful comments. You are the greatest! I know this chapter is kinda slow, but I hope that the next one will make up for it. Until then, enjoy~!!


	8. You're Here

Akaashi sat in a booth across from his sister at a small café, watching as she tapped her polished fingernails on her cup. The air surrounding them was incredibly uncomfortable, even the wait staff had noticed. Suzume hadn't made eye contact with him at all, and just frowned. That alone was enough to make Akaashi feel incredibly small and vulnerable. She'd always had that power over him, ever since they were children. He could remember many instances in which she'd given him the same treatment.

What was only a few minutes ticked by as slowly as if they were hours. And the longer it dragged on, the more nervous Akaashi started to feel. He swallowed, the tension in the air was so thick he could cut it with a knife. Her sharp eyes flicked up to his and he almost flinched at the cold, analytical gaze of his sister. 

"Who is Bokuto-san?" She asked, her voice deceivingly soft. He swallowed thickly, holding his tea cup between his hands to keep them from shaking. The tap of fingernails on ceramic had stopped, leaving them in a loud, silence that seemed to drown out the noises of the café.

"A good friend." Akaashi said softly, tearing his eyes away to stare into his drink. He tasted something bitter in his throat, and took a sip of his scalding tea in an attempt to wash the taste away. He ended up burning his tongue but the taste didn't leave.

"Seems like it." Suzume sneered, smiling slightly. Her eyes were searching for something, and they shined slightly before she spoke again. "Could this friend be anything like Ko-"

"No!" Akaashi snapped, frowning. He shot a glare across the table. "It's nothing like that."

"You're so defensive, Keiji." She seemed amused by his reaction, and ran her finger around the rim of her cup. "I was only asking if you had romantic feelings for him." She acted like it was a casual conversation, such as the weather, and like he had no place to be upset. It wasn't her business.

"Why would you think that?" Akaashi asked after a long moment. "How could you have drawn that conclusion?" He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and elected to ignore it. He couldn't have distractions right now, especially when his sister was waiting for the chance to devour him the moment his guard was down.

"I'm not blind. I saw how you looked at him." Suzume leaned her chin into her palm. "I've seen that look a million times." Her eyes flickered down and she smiled, her eyebrows raising lightly. "Your phone went off."

Akaashi didn't want to look. He knew who it was, and he didn't want to fuel his sister's ego. He would be damned if he did, and damned if he didn't. He sighed softly, picked up his phone and opened the message, feeling his cheeks turning pink even though he desperately tried to fight it off. Why was he so weak when it came to Bokuto?

From: Bokuto-san   
10:40AM  
Hey, the team is having a party tonight  
Want to come?

He puts his phone down, and does his best to bite back the smile that threatened to split across his face. "It was from my roommate." He lied through his teeth, and his sister seemed to notice it because her eyebrows twitched upward slightly. She didn't say anything further though and stood up. 

"I've got to get going. It's my day off, so I have things to catch up on at home." Suzume said, narrowing her eyes. "Feelings aside, our parents won't stand for you seeing a man. You should have learned that in high school." 

"I'm not seeing anyone." Akaashi said, firmly. His sister obviously didn't believe him, and just shrugged before she walked out of the café, leaving Akaashi to his thoughts.

Akaashi glared into his tea, then glanced back at his phone, seeing the tiny horned owl charm that seemed to be looking up at him. Guilt plagued him because the charm reminded him of Bokuto. He should reply to Bokuto's text, but he doesn't. He couldn't make himself do it. Fear overwhelmed him, he didn't want high school to repeat itself. It was painful enough the first time. He leaned his head in his hands and sighed. "Shit.."

\--

It wasn't until he got back to his apartment that Akaashi even looked at his phone again. He stared at the message as he walked through his empty apartment, plopping himself onto the couch. Not replying was eating at him, but he couldn't help feeling that replying would be digging himself into a deeper hole. He dragged his hand over his face and leaned back against the couch. His fingers trembled and he felt a knot in his throat. His chest was tight, and all he really wanted was to talk to Bokuto. He wanted to see him. 

Akaashi's finger hovered over Bokuto's phone number as he stared at it. He was going over the pros and cons of calling him in his head as he put the phone down on the coffee table. The cute charm stared at him, and he had to turn away from it. He was feeling sick, his heart felt tight, and trapped. What Suzume had told him was freaking him out. He felt like he was in high school again, and glared at his hands. He frowned. If he ignored Bokuto now, it would be as if his sister had won, and he didn't want that. He couldn't let Suzume and his parents win again, not when he'd finally found someone he liked.

"I'm an adult." Akaashi said to himself, as if he were trying to convince himself of the fact. "I can make my own decisions." He turned back and grabbed up the phone again, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

He pressed the phone number and brought the phone to his ear, listening to it ring. His heart pounded hard, and he licked his lips. Akaashi's hand shook softly as he pressed the phone harder to his ear. The soft ringing made time stop and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Then suddenly, like his blade through the ice, the fear and negativity he felt cracked, and there was sound on the other line of the phone.

"Hey hey, Akaashi~" Bokuto's voice called into the receiver, all pleasant, and loud, and warm. So warm that Akaashi could feel the tension that had his heart in a tight grasp, loosen it's grip.

"Bokuto-san.." Akaashi's voice cracked as he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He stared out into his apartment aimlessly. He felt tears prick at his eyes and he hugged his knees to his chest. The tears fell down his cheeks, and did his best to remember to breathe.

"Are you ok?" Bokuto asked, his concern was genuine and his voice was gentle. He couldn't be more grateful to hear that voice.

"Y-yeah.. Sorry, I-I um.." Akaashi stammered, rubbing his eyes. He felt stupid, calling him only to end up crying. Bokuto must be confused, not that he could blame him.

"What happened? Where are you?" Bokuto asked, his voice sounded urgent. "Are you hurt?"

Akaashi huffed out a soft laugh. "I-I'm at home, Bokuto-san.. I'm ok. I-I just.. I needed to talk to someone." He said as he hiccuped lightly. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, softly, as if he were talking to an animal that might flee if he was too loud.

"I.. um.. I-I'm lonely.." Akaashi felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, his mouth running of it's own accord, he usually has much better self control. "S-Sorry, I-I shouldn't have called-"

"Akaashi, stop." Bokuto's voice was stern. "Do you want me to come over?"

He blinked, his heart skipped and he was stunned silent for a moment. "E-Eh? N-No, it's alright. Y-You don't h-have to, B-"

"I asked if you wanted me to come over." He interrupted him, with a sigh. "Please don't lie to me."

Akaashi felt his heart pounding hard, and rubbed the tears from his eyes again. "Y-You sound like you know the answer already.." He said, his voice practically a whisper.

"I'm coming over.. please text me your address." Bokuto said before he hung up the phone, leaving Akaashi to stare at his living room in silence. 

Akaashi texted his address to Bokuto before he changed his mind, and suddenly wondered what he was going to tell him. He couldn't tell him he was freaking out because of something his sister told him. And he couldn't tell him about what happened the last time his parents found out he was interested in a guy, back when he was still in high school. He just sighed and leaned into the couch cushions, hoping the answers would just come to him.

\--

Akaashi had fallen asleep on the couch, leaning into the plush cushions and the comfort they provided. However, it seemed like as soon as he truly relaxed, there was a soft knocking coming from the front door. He jolted awake and sat up, hearing the knock again. He pushed himself up when he heard the knock for the third time and walked over to the door, pulling it open slowly. He peeked out at Bokuto and glanced at the floor. 

"C-Come in." Akaashi said softly, moving out of his way. He watched him walk in, and remove his shoes as he shut the door behind him. Bokuto's eyes were on him. He was studying him, and he felt incredibly self-conscious, even as Bokuto turned away to hang up his coat.

Bokuto turned back to face him, looking over Akaashi with worried eyes. "Akaashi.. you've been crying." He said softly, the softness of his voice surprising him.

Akaashi looked down and blushed darkly. "Just.. a-a little.." He whispered, looking up at him from under his eyelashes. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'll listen, if you want to talk." Bokuto offered, his expression was so gentle and it made Akaashi want to cry again. He quickly shook his head. 

"Y-You're here." Akaashi mumbled. "..a-and that's enough."

Bokuto nodded a little, touching Akaashi's shoulder with his large, warm hand. "Come on.. You should sit down." His hand moved to Akaashi's back and he gently guided Akaashi into the living room. 

"I.. I didn't interrupt anything.. did I?" Akaashi asked, keeping his chin down.

"I was going for a run.. but I ran here instead." He said softly. "You didn't interrupt anything, ok?"

Akaashi nodded slowly, sitting on his couch. "Thanks.."

Bokuto chuckled softly before he went to Akaashi's kitchen. Akaashi looked over his shoulder and watched as Bokuto opened cabinets in search of cups until he found one, and filled it with water from the tap. He brought the glass of water into the living room and sat beside Akaashi, before he held it out for him. 

"Here. It'll make you feel a little better." He said softly. Akaashi took the glass from him and sipped at it. His skin was tingling lightly where Bokuto had touched him, but it also felt like it was melting away his fear.

"Thank you.. so much.." Akaashi said, his voice cracking again. "I um.. I-I almost didn't call.. But I'm glad I did." He blushed darkly, sipping the water in his cup without making eye contact.

"Me too." Bokuto said. "I hate being alone when I'm upset, it feels like a hundred times worse, to me." He rubbed his neck and Akaashi looked at him, seeing the nervous expression on his face. "I just think... it's best to have a shoulder to cry on. So you're not lonely as well as sad."

Akaashi nodded slowly, feeling the corners of his mouth turn up. "Thank you. I'm not lonely, now." Bokuto nodded with a warm smile that made Akaashi's heart skip a beat. 

Bokuto's eyes then scanned over Akaashi's face. He leaned in, and Akaashi froze, holding the cup in both hands. He gulped dryly as Bokuto got close to him and brushed his warm, callused fingers across his cheek, and closed his eyes tightly. He felt his heart pounding in his ears. Then as quickly as they were there, Bokuto's fingers were gone, leaving tingling skin in their wake.

"An eyelash." Bokuto said, breaking the silence. And when Akaashi's eyes opened again he saw that Bokuto was holding up an eyelash on his index finger, still leaning in.

"Ah." Akaashi nodded, nervously. "I-I see. Thank you." He knew his face was probably red as a tomato, and tore his eyes away. 

"No problem, Akaashi." Bokuto said with a light hearted grin. "You have a wish to make."

"A wish?" Akaashi raised his eyebrows, looking back up at Bokuto who was still extending the eyelash on his fingertip.

"Make a wish, and blow it away." Bokuto chuckled. "I used to do this with my Mom when I was little, and it seemed like whatever wish I made came true." He explained. "You look like you really need a wish right now."

Akaashi nodded. "Alright." He felt kind of silly, but he did have a wish. He wished that nothing would take Bokuto from him. He knew it was completely ridiculous, wishing on an eyelash, but he knew it wouldn't hurt. He blew the eyelash off his finger with a gentle smile.

"I hope your wish comes true, Akaashi." Bokuto grinned, and Akaashi's heartbeat escalated.

"Y-Yeah.. me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all so supportive and nice!! I'm honestly overwhelmed by the amount of love here!! Thank you for your lovely comments and I hope you enjoyed this Chapter!! Next one will go up on Sunday!


	9. The Photo

Kenma walked up the stairs to his apartment door and fumbled for his keys as he swiped his thumb over his phone, playing an intense round of Candy Crush™. He looked away from his phone briefly to find the key, and grabbed the doorknob. He frowned, realizing that the door was open, only after he'd pulled out his keys. He turned the knob and walked into the apartment, kicking his shoes off as he went into the kitchen. 

"I'm home." He called, thinking that Keiji must be home. He didn't hear anything either way, so he figured that Keiji might have been asleep in his room.

He put his bag on the kitchen table and sighed. He'd had a long day at work. Kenma had spent the day going over his drafts with the rest of the design team for this new video game concept, and he hated those meetings. He'd much rather just stay home and e-mail his work to whomever needed to see it. Unfortunately, that's not how things worked out. Ever.

He opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of Apple juice before he set it on the counter. Kenma grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured himself some juice before he turned on his heel to put the jug away. He took a big gulp of his juice then turned and walked into the living room to play a game on his Xbox. However when he got into the room, he had to stop and process what he'd walked into.

Keiji was asleep on the couch, with his legs curled under his body. That wasn't the surprising part though. He was curled up to the side of another man, with his head resting comfortably on his shoulder. The man was sleeping as well, Kenma looked over him and could only assume that this was the 'Bokuto-san' that Keiji sometimes talked about. He was muscular, and had loud hair. He then noticed that the two were holding hands, Bokuto-san's large fingers entwined with Keiji's smaller ones.

Kenma didn't know when this happened, nor did it really matter. He smiled softly at the sight and closed his game on his phone before he opened the camera option. He set his glass of juice on the table and took a photo of the two of them. Something inside him knew that Tooru and Koushi would want to see this.

\--

Bokuto woke up to the sounds of a phone vibrating against the table. He groaned and sat up, noticing Akaashi had fallen asleep on him. Akaashi was peacefully sleeping as Bokuto reached for the phone and answered it. 

"Hello?" He called, tiredly. He didn't dare move, so he wouldn't disturb the man sleeping on his shoulder, and holding his hand.

The other line was quiet for a long moment. "Wait, you're not Keiji-chan." The voice said, then giggled. "Are you Owl-kun?" 

"Owl-kun?" He asked, yawning and looking at the phone in his hand. "Ah, shit. Sorry, I picked up Akaashi's phone on accident."

"It's okay, Owl-kun. Don't disturb Keiji-chan. I was only calling to see if what Kenma said was true. You two look really cute, sleeping together like that." The man on the phone said, his voice lilting in a similar fashion to the way Kuroo's did when he was teasing someone.

"Um.." Bokuto blinked, and Akaashi stirred a bit. "Thanks? I suppose.." Akaashi sat up and yawned, untangling their fingers to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Akaashi.. your friend is on the phone." 

Akaashi looked at him with a nod, holding his hand out for the phone. Akaashi was half awake, rubbing his eyes with one hand and yawning. Bokuto blushed and handed over the phone, needing to look elsewhere to calm himself. Akaashi was too cute, his hair was sticking up, eyes barely focused, and his lips pouted. 

"Hello?" Akaashi said softly, voice rough from sleep. It didn't take long for him to look completely awake and alert, his face flushing darkly. "What do you mean? I-" He groaned, and hung up, rubbing his temples. 

"Bokuto-san. Did you see anyone else in the apartment?" He asked, his voice laced with slight irritation. 

"No, why?" He blinked.

"I think my roommate took a photo of us sleeping and sent it to my friends." Akaashi sighed.

"Your roommate?" Bokuto blinked. "Is it that guy from the ice rink like a week ago?"

"Oikawa? No, that was him on the phone just now." He sighed. "I wouldn't be able to live with him, I'd end up killing him after 3 days." Akaashi smiled bitterly. "He's one of my best friends, really."

"So... He calls me Owl-kun?" Bokuto asked, and watched as Akaashi blushed darkly.

He hesitated before he spoke again. "He thinks it's funny, that you like owls even more than I do." Akaashi mumbled. "Which is saying a lot.. I mean.." He trails off.

Bokuto laughed and nodded in understanding as Akaashi stood up. "Um.. this morning.. You said your team is having a party. What type of party is it?" 

He looked up at Akaashi and felt his heart beat hard. He was pleasantly disheveled and looked down at him with those dark, beautiful eyes. Bokuto smiled softly. "Um.. music, dancing, alcohol.. You know, there's going to be a lot of people there."

Akaashi nodded. "I don't know.. I um.. I don't want to just shadow you all night. I mean, I'm not exactly the partying type."

"It's okay. If you'd rather do something else, we could do that." Bokuto grinned.

"You.. don't want to go to the party?" Akaashi asked, tilting his head.

"I was looking for a way to hang out with you, if I'm being completely honest." Bokuto said before he realized what came out of his mouth. 

Akaashi smiled and his cheeks flushed softly. "Well, you're already hanging out with me." He said.

"You've got me there." Bokuto grinned sheepishly, rubbing his neck nervously. 

"Why don't um.. we could go out for dinner?" Akaashi suggested, and Bokuto felt his face heat up considerably. 

"Y-Yeah. That sounds nice." Bokuto said, and Akaashi nodded. 

"But first, I should change, and I need to talk to Kenma." Akaashi smiled in a way that was just a little terrifying, before he walked down the hallway. Bokuto was glad that he wasn't the recipricant of Akaashi's anger.

Once he was gone, he couldn't keep himself from thinking about what exactly it'd been that made Akaashi so upset earlier. He'd avoided talking about it at all, and even if he had reached out to him he knew Akaashi was hiding something important. He supposed that he couldn't expect Akaashi to tell him everything yet, though. For now, Bokuto was just glad that Akaashi seemed to feel a little better.

\--

Akaashi knocked on Kenma's bedroom door and opened it, seeing Kenma sitting on the floor, playing one of the many first-person shooter games that he owned. He turned the light on and walked in front of Kenma with his hands on his hips. Kenma paused his game and looked up at his roommate.

"Oikawa told me about the photo." Akaashi said with a frown, and Kenma glanced away.

"Sorry.. it was cute." Kenma muttered.

He sighed. "Can I at least see it? I have the right to know what picture you sent to Oikawa and Suga."

Akaashi watched as his roommate picked his phone up and tapped at the screen before he handed it off. Akaashi took the phone and looked at the picture. The sight was enough to make his entire face flush. He'd had no idea that he'd been holding Bokuto's hand and legitimately snuggling with him. No way. Akaashi looked mortified and looked down at Kenma.

"This.. we're not-" Akaashi was cut off by the sound of his own heartbeat racing in his ears.

"Your boyfriend should see it. He's in the picture too." Kenma said, his sharp eyes flicking up to meet Akaashi's.

"I'm.. we're not.. He's not my.." Akaashi stammered. 

"Fine." Kenma shrugged, nonchalantly. "Show it to your cuddle buddy then."

Akaashi nodded. "Send it to me, I'll show him later." He gave Kenma back the phone, and Kenma nodded with a slight smile.

"Whatever you say, Keiji." He said. Akaashi, rolled his eyes. He had known Kenma long enough to know when he was being sassy, even if to most people his tone was completely neutral.

"I'm going out. I should be back later tonight." Akaashi said, as he walked towards the door. 

"If you don't come back, I'll know you're in good hands." Kenma remarked. Akaashi blushed darkly, turning to shoot a dirty look in Kenma's direction. He was met by only a blank expression with the slightest of smiles and a small wave. Akaashi left Kenma's room, feeling his cheeks darkening slightly. He was worried about how obvious his feelings were to Bokuto, if everyone else could pick up on them. 

\--

Bokuto walked beside Akaashi who insisted on keeping the place they were going to for dinner a secret. Bokuto had complained about how unfair it was until Akaashi laughed, sending him into a stunned silence. He couldn't believe that someone as beautiful as Akaashi even existed, much less allowed him to breathe the same air as him.

As they walked to wherever Akaashi was taking him, Akaashi started to tell him about his friends. As he explained each person, he showed Bokuto a photo he had of them on his phone. 

He'd learned that Oikawa, the brown haired man he was skating with the day of the stake-out, was his oldest friend. They met in a skating competition when they were 8, and became friends when they started training under the same coach at 10 years old. They even went to the same high school. He learned that despite his grace on the ice, his friend was nothing but a child in the body of a grown man. He was petty, obnoxious, and gave people embarrassing nicknames. One of Oikawa's more amusing attributes was that he was obsessed with outter space and the paranormal. 

Sugawara, or Suga, was Hinata's kindergarten teacher. He was a sweet looking man who was reliable, kind and funny, according to Akaashi. However, he was also secretly the devil himself and liked to join in Oikawa's mischief. He was also uncharacteristically fond of spicy food and hard liquor. He learned that even though Suga looked like he'd be a lightweight, Suga could probably drink anyone under the table.

Kenma was Akaashi's roommate, and the guy that Kuroo had mentioned was cute the other day. He was a videogame addict and even turned his addiction into a career. He was quiet, and didn't like large groups, but was also incredibly kind, even if his expressions could go unnoticed by nearly everyone. He was also proven to have a mischievous side by the fact that he sent Akaashi's other friends a photo he'd taken of Bokuto and Akaashi asleep together.

Bokuto had listened as he explained his friends to him, and wondered how such a group had even come to be. None of the people he'd seen in the photos were ugly, or even average looking. They were all incredibly beautiful human beings(even if to Bokuto, Akaashi overshadowed everyone else in a contest of beauty).

"So yeah, now you know who my friends are." Akaashi finally said as he went to put his phone away. 

"They seem like they're a good group." Bokuto said with a smile. "I wish I could see the picture Kenma-san took though."

"I almost forgot. Um.. here." Akaashi pulled up the photo and showed it to him, his own cheeks tinted pink. 

Bokuto smiled to himself at the sight. Akaashi was so cute, curled up to him like that with his hand in his own.

"You look peaceful." He said, smiling gently at Akaashi's crimson face.

"So do you.." Akaashi mumbled, putting his phone away as he nervously toyed with a lock of his hair that stuck out near his ear. 

As they walked, Bokuto brushed his hand against Akaashi's knuckles purposely, hoping not to scare him off. When Akaashi's hand didn't retreat, Bokuto gently took his hand into his own, watching for Akaashi's reaction as he slowly entwined their fingers together. He watched as Akaashi smiled shyly to himself without looking at Bokuto. He just squeezed his hand softly.

As they approached a Korean barbeque restaurant, Akaashi released Bokuto's hand and stuffed his own hand into his pocket, much to Bokuto's disappointment. He pouted until Akaashi looked at him and grinned shyly.

"We're here." He said. It took Bokuto a moment before he responded, looking up at the restaurant with an indescribable feeling.

"Akaashi, how did you know I liked barbecue?!" He asked loudly, earning a soft laugh from his companion.

"Just a lucky guess, I suppose." Akaashi said, leading him inside. "This is my treat, so you can have as much as you like." 

"Akaashi, you're a saint." Bokuto said, his eyes watering in joy. He wanted to tackle Akaashi to the ground and shower his face with kisses, but he resisted. For now, he'd just enjoy having dinner with the most beautiful human being to bless the face of the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff makes up for sadness!! Thank you guys for the comments on the last chapter!! You guys have been so lovely and encouraging!! Sorry this chapter is so short!!


	10. Ache

Bokuto breathed in the heavy, tension filled air as he rushed down the length of the rink, two players from their opponents in pursuit. He had control of the puck and was about to pass it to Lev when he was slammed between the boards and Aone, one of the other team's skaters, elbowing him right in the stomach. He grunts and doubles over, his feet sliding out from beneath him as the ref blows the whistle, announcing a penalty. Bokuto grunted and winced, landing flat on his ass.

Kuroo skated over and helped him back to his feet. "You okay?" He asked, looking down at him through his visor. "That was a nasty hit."

"I'm fine." Bokuto grinned. "We've got us a game to win." Kuroo nodded and pushed Bokuto a bit as they skated to the sidelines, their coach had called a time-out. 

"Bokuto, are you good to go?" Coach asked, looking for signs of any serious pain in Bokuto's face. 

"More than good. I'll make sure we take the win, Coach!" He shouted, and the rest of the team suddenly seemed just as hyped as he was, feeding off of his confidence. His coach nodded and sent them back out, trusting Bokuto's intuition that he could win the game. There was no reason not to, he was the best player they had.

Bokuto skates to the center of the rink, staring down Ushijima from behind his visor. He grinned widely at his opponent who's expression was still as stone, feeling a surge of confidence in his veins, mixing with adrenaline. There was only enough time for one more play, and everything would have to go perfect.

An official skates to the face-off point and drops the puck between them. Bokuto and Ushijima fight for the puck and Bokuto manages to gain control of it once again. He dashes forward keeping the puck well controlled with his stick before he drop passed it to Kuroo when Terushima, one of Ushijima's teammates, got too close. They were in the attack zone and Kuroo took the shot just as the buzzer went off. The goalkeeper dived to stop the puck but it slid past him into the net.

Bokuto pants, his chest heaving as he grinned widely at the sound of the goal horn. The roar of the crowd and the rambling voices of the announcers confirmed what he already knew. They'd taken the win. He raised his fists with a loud shout of victory as Kuroo skated over and clapped him hard on the back, grinning.

"Man, I almost thought we were gonna have to sub you out!" Kuroo shouted over the volume of the crowd, and Bokuto laughed.

"Its going to take more than that to sub me out." Bokuto bragged.

"If you're going to brag, try not to get knocked on your ass." Tsukishima sneered, rolling his eyes at his teammates. "You almost lost us the game."

"Aw, come on, Tsukki~ we still won." Kuroo grinned and skated up to him, nudging him a little with his shoulder.

Tsukishima scowled a bit. "Don't call me that." 

"Yeah, Tsukki, lighten up~" Bokuto grinned, clapping their defenseman on the back, making him grunt. 

"How you can manage to make that hurt through all this padding is beyond me." Tsukishima grumbled. "All brawn and no brain." 

"You're just mad because you're so scrawny." Bokuto chuckled.

"Stop teasing him guys," Yaku, their goaltender, said as he pulled his helmet off and ran a gloved hand through his short hair. 

"Alright, Yaku-san." Kuroo sighed. "We were just having some fun with him."

Yaku rolled his eyes. "You just like to see how far you can push him and still get a response."

"Guilty as charged." Kuroo laughed, sitting on the bench as the group came off the ice. 

\--

On his way out of the building, Bokuto sighed outwardly. He hadn't seen Akaashi since he treated him to barbeque, and Akaashi didn't call either. He wondered if he'd scared him off by holding his hand, but quickly discarded that idea. Akaashi seemed to enjoy it, and even had held his hand for the majority of their way back to Akaashi's building. Still, it'd been a week, and all Akaashi said in his texts were things about being really busy with Hinata and that he had a competition to prepare for. 

"Hey, Bo, what's eating you? It's rare to see you this quiet after winning a game." Kuroo nudged him with his elbow.

"I'm fine." Bokuto grumbled with a pout.

"Don't get into one of your moods. It's unattractive." Tsukishima said from his other side.

"It's probably trouble in the owl nest." Kuroo grinned. 

"So like.. domestic? I didn't think you were seeing anyone, Bokuto." Yaku said, raising his eyebrows. 

"He's not, or he is, I don't even know what he is to you, Bo." Kuroo slung his arm over Bokuto's shoulder. 

"I don't know. Like, I thought things were going really good. But Akaashi hasn't wanted to do anything all week, what if I overwhelmed him?!" Bokuto complained loudly, sulking.

"Akaashi? You mean Akaashi Keiji?" Tsukishima asked, sounding surprised. 

"Yeah, you know him?" Kuroo asked, and Bokuto looked up at him.

"Yeah, sort of." Tsukishima waved his hand in front of his face. "He's the figure skater, right? He's kinda famous, but I suppose you two wouldn't have known that, since you only think of hockey."

"Akaashi who? I never heard of him either." Lev said, walking close to Yaku.

"He's famous?" Bokuto asked, his eyes wide. 

"Yeah, relatively." Tsukishima answered. "He's one of the top skaters in the prefecture. He's been in magazines and stuff since he was 12."

"I remember that kid," Yaku said, nodding along. "In high school, girls used to talk about him and Oikawa Tooru."

Bokuto knew that from Oikawa's name that this was the same Akaashi Keiji that he'd been talking to. "Wait, so you guys know who my Akaashi is? Like, you know how pretty he is?"

Yaku laughed and smiled lightly. "Yes, we know who he is, and yes, he's attractive." Lev seemed to frown slightly when Yaku said that, but didn't comment.

"How come you guys never said anything?! You've been holding out on the prettiest man in the world!" Bokuto complained, half-shouting even though it's well past nightfall.

"We never thought that you, of all people, would have an interest in anything but hockey." Tsukishima smirked. "You can't blame us for that."

"That's true, Bo." Kuroo laughed at Bokuto's pout.

"Maybe you should just call him," Yaku suggested. "Its not like you're a stranger. You've gone out together, right?"

He nods at Yaku's suggestion. "Yeah, I'll call him tonight."

"Maybe he'll stop acting like a teenage girl if he talks to Akaashi." Tsukishima said with a cheeky grin. 

"I don't act like a teenage girl!" Bokuto whined, looking to Kuroo and Yaku for support. They both just avoided eye contact and hid smirks behind their hands. "I don't!"

"You do." Tsukishima quipped.

\--

Akaashi had Shouyou sitting on the bathroom counter as he blow-dried his wet hair, after his bath. Shouyou was singing this song he'd made up about the hair dryer and Akaashi smiled lightly and moved the dryer around to the tempo of Shouyou's song.

"Blow dry, blow dry, fluffy hair!" Shouyou sang over and over. Akaashi chuckled as his nephews hair progressively became dry, and the song became quieter. Shouyou yawned as his uncle turned off the hair dryer. Akaashi helped Shouyou into his pyjama shirt now that his hair was dry. The orange haired boy blinked slowly, rubbing his eyes with his small hands.

"Ready for bed?" He asked, receiving a tired nod as his nephew raised his arms. Akaashi lifted Shouyou up and brought him into his bedroom. He laid him onto his own bed and tucked him into the blankets. 

"G'night.. Keiji-ojichan." Shouyou yawned and turned into the pillow, nuzzling it softly.

"Goodnight, Shouyou." He said, smiling at him before he got up and left the room quietly, shutting off the light. He left the bedroom door cracked open so the light from the hallway shined into the room.

Akaashi went into the living room and yawned tiredly as he sat on the couch. He'd been running non-stop all week. Shouyou had been with him since the night after he'd seen Bokuto last, since Suzume had to work nights all week. And he'd been preparing for a competition while Shouyou was at school. Normally he'd have more time, and wouldn't be this exhausted after the skating and cardio training and yoga he'd been doing every day, but with Shouyou on top of it, he was starting to think that his performance would be effected negatively by the exhaustion.

He hadn't even had time to do more than text Bokuto, and even then the messages were short. After his thoughts drifted to him, he held up his hand and studied it. He frowned, looking at the empty spaces between his fingers, and vaguely wished Bokuto's hand was there to fill the void. Wished that Bokuto was there on the other side of the couch.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, and stood up. He went to the kitchen and got himself a glass of cold water, and drank it down. He felt his heart pound in his chest as he put the glass down. Akaashi glared at his hands, still trying to conjure up Bokuto with his mind. 

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and looked down. When the vibrating didn't stop, he gulped and picked it up. He saw Bokuto's name, and his hands shook so much he almost dropped the phone. Akaashi pressed the answer button and felt the corners of his mouth turn upward. 

"Hello, Bokuto-san." He said, and he swore he could almost hear Bokuto smile.

"Akaashi~ How are you doing?" He asked, his warm voice making Akaashi feel comfortable.

"I'm alright, Bokuto-san.. just tired." Akaashi sighed.

"You should take a break." Bokuto said.

Akaashi smiled softly at Bokuto's concern. "I can't. I have a competition coming up, so I need to-"

"You're going to end up straining your body, Akaashi. You really should take it easy for a day or so." His voice had pure, genuine concern laced into it, and it made Akaashi's heart stop. He sank to the floor and leaned against the cabinet.

"What do you suppose I should do, then, Bokuto-san?" Akaashi asked, smiling warmly. "I still have to get Shouyou to school in the morning."

"Meet me at the ice rink. We can watch a movie or something at my place." Bokuto said, his voice was laced with a slight amount of nervousness. 

"Sounds good. I'd like that." Akaashi sighed, feeling himself blush. He didn't realize how much he'd missed him until he heard his voice. "I take Shouyou to school at 9."

"Then I'll be there at 9:30." Bokuto chuckled and Akaashi nodded, even though he knew he couldn't see him. He yawned, and Akaashi couldn't help his soft laugh. 

"You sound like you had a long day too." He said, fighting off his own yawn.

"Yeah. We had a game tonight, and I got roughed up by their power forward." Bokuto said with pride. "Don't worry, we still kicked their asses." 

"Are you ok?" Akaashi asked, suddenly awake. The idea of an injured Bokuto made his blood run cold and his heart stop. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No, no. It takes more than an elbow to the gut to hurt me." Bokuto chuckled softly, and Akaashi let out an exasperated sigh.

"That's good, I was worried for a minute." He said, feeling himself relax. "Congratulations on your win." It was at this point that Akaashi realized just how much he cared about Bokuto, and gulped. He was in way too deep.

"Thanks, you should come see me play sometime." Bokuto said light-heartedly.

"Maybe I'll come to your next game." He said.

"Do you mean it?!" Bokuto asked, excitedly.

"Yeah, I do." Akaashi chuckled, then yawned. "I'm sorry, Bokuto-san.. I really need to get to bed." 

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, then." He said. "Goodnight, Akaashi."

"Goodnight.." Akaashi sighed softly, ending the call reluctantly. He stared at his phone for a moment, fiddling with the owl charm before he smiled gently at it. He turned it in his fingertips and saw Bokuto in the figure, looking up at him with wide eyes. He lifted it up and pressed a soft kiss to the charm as he whispered. "Goodnight, Koutarou."

"What're you doing?" Kenma asked as he came into the kitchen, with a mug in his hands. Akaashi blushed and shoved his phone in his pocket, hastily.

"Nothing.. just.." He felt his face flush even darker. 

"Was that Bokuto-san on the phone just now?" Kenma asked, lips curling into a smile. 

"Ah.. Yeah." Akaashi mumbled, getting off the floor. "He called me. I'm going to watch a movie with him tomorrow."

"Enjoy yourself." Kenma said softly, making himself another cup of tea. 

"Thanks." Akaashi sighed, and was quiet for a moment. "I think I care for him." He spoke carefully, feeling his heartbeat escalate. "More than I thought I did."

"No way. I wouldn't have guessed." Kenma replied sarcastically. 

"I'm serious." Akaashi frowned. 

Kenma just sighed and shook his head, his hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, which meant Kenma was working. "I know. Its obvious."

"Oh.." He looked down. "Do you think he knows?"

"I don't know." Kenma said, adding sugar to his tea and stirring it slowly. "I only met him once, and he was asleep."

"You're helpful." Akaashi grumbled, and Kenma simply shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support!!! You guys have been wonderful!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!!


	11. Perfect

Bokuto checked his phone for the time and frowned. Akaashi was 15 minutes late, and the idea that maybe Akaashi had blown him off kept popping into his head. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and pouted. Maybe he had been too pushy, after all.

It wasn't until he heard heavy, running footsteps that he looked up and saw Akaashi running towards him. He slowed down as he approached, and heaved heavy breaths. "I-I'm sorry!" He shouts, bowing and putting his hands on his knees, panting hard. "I-I overslept! I-I had to get Shouyou to kindergarten!! And I-I left my phone at home.." He looked like he'd ran the entire way and Bokuto blinked in shock.

"It's okay, Akaashi, calm down." Bokuto said, surprised.

Akaashi looked up at him and sighed in relief, a soft smile gracing his flushed face. "Thank God." His voice came out breathy as he stood back up, and Bokuto had to force himself not to stare at him.

"S-So.. Shall we go?" He asked, smiling shyly when Akaashi nodded.

"Lead the way, Bokuto-san." Akaashi said after catching his breath.

He starts on his way to his apartment, when he feels something soft brush against his hand. Bokuto looked down and saw that Akaashi was reaching out with his pinky finger, but he retracted it. He grinned at this and gently brushed his own knuckles against Akaashi's as he looked forward. He noticed him shift nervously beside him, and then felt as Akaashi pulled his fingers with his own, and entwined them together. It was so comfortable, feeling his thin fingers settled between his own, and a soft palm against his calloused one.

"You know," Bokuto started with a smirk. "You don't have to be so nervous about holding my hand." He punctuated his sentence with a gentle squeeze to his hand as looked over at him.

Akaashi's cheeks turned a dark red, even if his expression didn't change much as he glanced back at him. "I can't help it." He sighed and looked forward again.

"I.. I make you nervous?" He asked, glancing at him from the corner of his eye and making eye contact with him. Akaashi nodded quickly before looking down. "How could I make you nervous?"

"You just do." Akaashi muttered. Bokuto grinned and laughed lightly, making a soft frown appear on Akaashi's face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad that you're as nervous as I am. I'm honestly a little relieved, you always look so calm so I was worried that I was the only one." He scanned Akaashi's face for a reaction, and saw that his ears and neck had started to flush the same red as his cheeks. He squeezed Akaashi's hand and swinged it lightly between them as they walked, he even caught a small smile starting to form on the skater's face.

"Have you decided what movie we're watching?" Akaashi asked, turning to face him as they walked.

"Well, I have _owl_ sorts of movies. We can pick one when we get there." Bokuto grinned.

Akaashi gave him a blank stare for a moment, before he smirked up at him. " _Hoo_ gave you permission to use such an _owl_ ful pun?"

"I did. I think they're a real _hoot_." Bokuto laughed loudly and Akaashi couldn't not laugh along with him.

"That was horrible." Akaashi said, hiding his smile behind his free hand.

"Hey, you used bad owl puns too." He grinned back at him and raised his eyebrows playfully.

"You're a bad influence." He replied simply. " _Hoo_ do you think you are?"

"Akaashi!" Bokuto snorted in laughter. "Oh my God!" Akaashi had a smug expression on his face and smirked, proud of himself for such a lame pun. Bokuto rubbed his thumb over Akaashi's wrist as they swung their hands together, thinking that Akaashi was even more perfect than he'd initially thought.

\--

Akaashi followed Bokuto into his apartment and toed his shoes off at the door as he looked around curiously. His apartment was cluttered, but not messy. There were owl carvings and figures scattered on the shelves and other surfaces throughout the living room, and a huge horned owl painting mounted on the wall. He couldn't help but smile as he followed Bokuto inside, and stopped to look at the figures as they passed a shelf.

"Cute." Akaashi said softly as he picked up a small ceramic figure of a snowy owl with it's wings extended as if it were about to take flight. "You collect owls." He set it back down and looked at Bokuto who was blushing slightly.

"Yeah. I guess it's kinda weird, right?" Bokuto grinned nervously, in a way that made Akaashi's heart skip a beat.

"Not at all. I'd collect too, but I just don't find them like you do." He admitted with a slight smile as he walked over to Bokuto who'd knelt down by a shelf filled with different DVDs.

"Um.. What types of movies do you like?" Bokuto asked as Akaashi shrugged and crouched down beside him. He looked over the titles and stopped when he noticed a picture of a barn owl on one of the DVD cases and pulled it out.

"What's this one?" Akaashi asked, looking at the front of the case and seeing a person suspended in the air, covered by a sheet. "Hm.. this is a foreign movie, right? 'The Fourth Kind' what's that about?"

"That one's supposed to be a retelling of a weird phenomenon that happened in America, involving aliens. It's based off of a true story, supposedly." He explained, and Akaashi started laughing.

"I think Oikawa would like this movie." He snorts, sliding the DVD back onto the shelf. "You can pick one. I don't mind which it is." Akaashi smiled gently at Bokuto.

Bokuto nodded with a bright smile and covered his eyes with one hand. He pulled a case off the shelf with his other hand and ended up picking up a horror movie that Akaashi didn't recognize. "Is this ok?" Bokuto asked when he uncovered his eyes.

Akaashi nodded and leaned closer to look at the case a bit, looking up into wide amber eyes when he noticed that Bokuto had stiffened up. "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yeah! Totally fine!" Bokuto blushed darkly as he said that and laughed loudly, standing up and getting the movie set up. Akaashi thought that his reaction was odd but didn't question it.

"Do you want me to grab anything from the kitchen?" He asked as he stood.

"Don't worry, I've got it." Bokuto grinned back at him. "Just sit down and make yourself comfortable." Akaashi nodded and smiled shyly to himself, watching as Bokuto turned the television on and the DVD player started to load the disk.

Bokuto left for the kitchen and Akaashi took the opportunity to get situated on the couch. He tucked his legs beneath himself and pulled the throw blanket from the back of the couch over his legs. He could hear the sounds of the microwave running, the cabinets closing, and the fridge opening and closing. Akaashi started to smell popcorn and leaned back into the couch, smiling to himself.

The microwave beeped loudly through the apartment as the DVD started playing the previews before the movie. Akaashi watched the previews idly as he listened more to the sounds of Bokuto in the kitchen than the dialogue on screen. It wasn't long before Bokuto returned, holding a bowl of popcorn in one hand, and two sodas in the other.

He seemed to pause momentarily when he saw him and Akaashi blinked, looking up at him. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"N-Nothing..!" Bokuto said, smiling nervously as he glanced away and set the sodas down on the coffee table. He plopped beside Akaashi on the couch and picked up the remote with a soft flush to his cheeks. He was acting strange again, but Akaashi just let it slide, for now. He sighed and reached into the bowl and picked up a piece of popcorn and popped it into his mouth. Bokuto brought up the DVD menu and played the movie.

\--

Bokuto didn't remember owning this movie. There were a lot of jump scares that had him on edge(he'd jumped so often that Akaashi had taken control of the popcorn bowl so the popcorn didn't get everywhere.) Eventually the popcorn was moved to the table, and Bokuto had practically clung to Akaashi for dear life.

"Honestly, Bokuto-san.. the movie isn't real. Nothing can hurt you." Akaashi said, rationally as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Bokuto was surprised at the action, but the look Akaashi sent him was so gentle that he felt his heartbeat escalate. He liked him. He really, really liked him.

Akaashi soothed his nerves by combing his fingers through his hair, and even though it didn't keep him from shrieking and clinging to Akaashi whenever a horrifying monster appeared, it helped. He leaned into Akaashi's touch as the movie played out, sighing as he felt his fingers slowly work the gel out and make his hair soft again. He almost fell asleep by the time the movie ended.

"Ahh.. cliffhanger." Akaashi grumbled, drawing Bokuto's attention to his pout. It was such a cute expression, and he smiled up at him.

"I don't know if I have the sequel, but I can check." He sat up, and his hair fell to his forehead. Akaashi blushed as he looked at him and swallowed.

"Y-You were pretty scared.. we don't have to um.. w-watch another one." Akaashi fiddled with his fingers and Bokuto smiled softly.

He put his hand over Akaashi's hands, and watched as the other man's eyes flicked up to lock with his. "But you liked it, right?" He asked, feeling his mouth get dry.

Akaashi nodded slowly. "Yeah.. but.. maybe we should um.. watch something t-that you'd like as well."

Bokuto licked his lips nervously and watched as Akaashi's dark eyes flickered down to his lips, then back up. He reached forward and brushed a strand of hair behind Akaashi's ear. He was so beautiful. His cheeks were flushed scarlet and he bit his lip as he slowly leaned into Bokuto's hand. 'Oh shit. This is happening.' Bokuto thought, gulping softly as he leaned forward, watching as Akaashi's eyes fluttered closed.

Then suddenly, the apartment door opened and Kuroo's voice called. "I smell popcorn, bro. Are you watching a movie without me?"

Akaashi jumped back with deep crimson staining his cheeks. Bokuto sighed and looked toward the door, seeing Kuroo grin at the knowledge that he'd walked in on something.

"Oh ho ho?" Kuroo smirked. "So we officially meet, Akaashi." He sauntered into the room and held his hand out to Akaashi, who shook it embarrassedly. "I'm Kuroo Tetsurou."

"It's nice to meet you, Kuroo-san. But um.. I do remember you. You're friends with Bokuto-san, yes?" He asked. "I saw you a few times, I think."

Kuroo laughed, sitting down beside Bokuto on the other end of the couch. "Yeah. He's my best friend, right Bo?"

"Yeah." Bokuto grinned, even though he really wanted to punch his friend.

"Oh, so that's where my movie went." Kuroo grinned widely as he grabbed a handful of popcorn. "I thought I lost it." He started munching on the popcorn in his hand.

"Is there a sequel, Kuroo-san?" Akaashi asked, and Bokuto felt his heart stop. Even though he'd offered to look for the sequel, he was hoping he wouldn't have to watch it. He was already scared enough.

"Yeah, I think I have the next two in my apartment." Kuroo grinned. "It's funny that you were able to get Bo to watch this though. He's a real baby when it comes to horror films."

"I noticed." Akaashi smiled slightly as he looked down at his hands. "But it's kinda cute."

Bokuto felt his entire face heat up, and Kuroo grinned, clapping his friend on the back. "Want me to get the other movies?"

"I-It's ok.. I don't want to scare him too much." Akaashi said with a slight grin.

Kuroo laughed harder now, and Bokuto felt cornered. "If you want, I can lend them to you, Akaashi. That way you can watch them and keep his pants dry." He drawled, with a gesture to his friend.

"I won't piss myself! You're the worst!" Bokuto made a face at his friend, and Akaashi chuckled softly behind his hand. "Back me up, Akaashi!" He whined, looking back at him and his annoyance faltered when he saw the smile that Akaashi was trying to hide.

"You're right, Bokuto-san." He said. "You can handle the movies, I'll just have to come back to watch the other two with you."

"You're leaving so soon?" Kuroo asked.

"I need to get home and pack up Shouyou's clothes. He's going back with his Mom this afternoon." He said, his voice softening when he mentioned his sister again.

"Want me to come with you?" Bokuto offered with a smile.

"No! Um.. I mean.. I'd rather just do it on my own." Akaashi looked conflicted, and shifted his gaze to the floor.

Bokuto and Kuroo exchanged a look of equal surprise, and Bokuto rubbed his neck. "At least let me walk you home." He said, smiling softly at Akaashi who hesitated. He always got weird when it involved his sister, for some reason. He didn't know what to think about it.

"Alright.." Akaashi said softly, looking up at him again. "I don't want her being rude to you again, though, so you'll have to leave after I get home."

Bokuto nodded and grinned, watching as Akaashi visibly relaxed. "Alright."

"I'll drop those movies off with Bokuto for your next date." Kuroo grinned as he stood up.

"Thank you, Kuroo-san." Akaashi said with a nod, as Kuroo left the apartment.

Bokuto waited until he heard the door click shut before he grinned at Akaashi. "So, this was a date?" He asked.

"W-well, I thought it was.." Akaashi looked down, his flush returning to color his face. Bokuto felt an arrow pierce his heart and he reached to take Akaashi's hand in his own. When Akaashi looked up, Bokuto leaned forward and pressed a warm kiss to Akaashi's lips, sliding his hand to his cheek. Akaashi sighed softly and kissed him back, his lips were soft against his and felt so nice. So comfortable. So perfect.

They parted the kiss and Akaashi smiled softly, leaning his forehead against his. Those dark green, beautiful eyes looked so relieved as they blinked away tears. "I really like you, Akaashi." Bokuto said as he flashed a grin.

"Yeah.. I like you too." Akaashi's voice was soft, almost a whisper. He entwined their fingers together and smiled lightly to himself. He leaned in for another soft kiss, and felt Akaashi smile against his mouth. There was no doubt in Bokuto's mind that he was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted this chapter a litter earlier than I originally intended because I love you guys and I won't have internet until probably Friday. So look forward to the next chapter then!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!!  
> Also! 'The Fourth Kind' can be found on Netflix if anyone is interested in watching it! It's a pretty good movie.


	12. Self-Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONSIDER THIS A WARNING: from this chapter on, there might be sexual content in my updates. Please keep this in mind.

A week had passed, and Bokuto had insisted on Akaashi taking yet another day off from preparing for his competition. Well, it was only one day, it couldn't hurt that much to take a break, so he'd agreed. Akaashi sighed to himself, fidgeting as he waited outside of the locker room for Bokuto. He'd gone to his hockey game as promised, and even though he didn't follow it very well, he watched through the entire thing, which is more he could say about Kenma. He'd brought Kenma along so he wouldn't feel completely out of place in such a lively crowd, not that it helped much. Kenma had spent nearly the entire time playing Pokémon on his 3DS.

Kenma stood beside him and nudged him in the side. "Keiji.. I'm getting hungry." He said softly, putting his game into his pocket. 

Akaashi nodded. "I am too. We'll get something after we congratulate Bokuto-san on their victory. I promise." Kenma nodded a bit, and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. 

"Akaashi!" Bokuto exclaimed suddenly, causing both Akaashi and Kenma to jump as Bokuto ran over and grabbed Akaashi in a bone-crushing hug. Kuroo and an even taller man with glasses followed Bokuto out of the locker room, and snickered when they saw Akaashi's predicament, being trapped between huge arms and a hard chest.

"Congratulations on your win, Bokuto-san." Akaashi said as Bokuto let him go, and he straightened his clothes nervously.

"Yeah, it was a good game, Bokuto." Kenma muttered.

Akaashi looked up and smiled at Kuroo who seemed to be staring at Kenma. "Congratulations, Kuroo-san." 

Kuroo looked up, seeming startled. "Thanks Akaashi. Um.. who's your friend?" The taller, thinner man that had been standing beside Kuroo just rolled his eyes and turned to leave without a word as he pulled on a set of headphones.

"This is Kozume Kenma." Akaashi introduced him, and Kenma nodded in Kuroo's direction.

"It's just Kenma." He said, sheepishly, hiding behind his hair. He pulled out his phone and fiddled with it as he mumbled, "Nice to meet you, Kuroo."

"Likewise." Kuroo grinned and kept staring at Kenma, who in turn avoided eye contact, even though he kept looking at him discreetly from behind his hair. 

"Keiji, let's go eat now." Kenma said as he tugged on Akaashi's sleeve. He nodded.

"Um.. can I invite Bokuto-san and Kuroo-san?" Akaashi asked quietly. "I want to treat them to dinner."

Kenma's eyes shifted over to Kuroo before his cheeks flushed slightly and he looked down at his phone to open a game. "That's fine.." 

Akaashi smiled slightly and looked up at Bokuto. "Come on, we're going to celebrate."

Bokuto grinned widely and threw his arm over Akaashi's shoulder. "You're the best, Akaashi!" He let out a laugh that made Akaashi's face flush.

"God, you two, get a room." Kuroo snorted in laughter.

"Tell me about it." Kenma muttered, without looking up.

Akaashi let out a quiet laugh and pulled away from Bokuto as he lead the group out. Kuroo talked to Kenma who responded minimally, but at the same time seemed to be enjoying himself. Bokuto grinned at Akaashi and took his hand in his, swinging their hands lightly between them.

\-- 

Dinner was comfortable between the four of them. Bokuto was actually surprised how well Kuroo and Kenma got along, since Kenma was a really quiet guy, but it seemed like he didn't mind it when Kuroo talked to him. Akaashi was completely relaxed the entire evening as well. He was sharing light touches and flashing soft smiles at him, each time taking Bokuto's breath away.

Over the course of the evening, they'd all had a bit to drink. The only tell-tale sign that Akaashi had anything to drink was the soft blush that was ever-present across the bridge of his nose and dusting his cheeks. It was the same story with Kenma, who'd taken to openly staring at Kuroo and leaning on his shoulder. By the time they left the restaurant, Kuroo and Kenma were holding hands (and Bokuto was secretly jealous that they'd gotten that comfortable with one another so soon.) 

The night was cold and Akaashi had huddled close to Bokuto as they walked. Bokuto and Kuroo had offered to walk Akaashi and Kenma home, which they'd attempted to refuse, but Akaashi was surprisingly weak to Bokuto's pout, so they'd gotten their way. 

Bokuto didn't pay much attention to Kuroo and Kenma, who'd walked ahead, on their way to Akaashi's apartment. He was too preoccupied by the gentle fingers caressing his wrist. He looked down and noticed that Akaashi appeared to be more tipsy than he'd let on. He smiled up at him, his dark eyes shining lightly under the yellowish glare of the streetlights. 

Bokuto stopped walking when Akaashi stopped and tugged on his sleeve. He turned to face him, seeing something flash in Akaashi's eyes. He reached up and pulled Bokuto by the collar of his coat, pressing their mouths together in a hot kiss. Bokuto was startled, but the alcohol and Akaashi's mouth was overpowering any common sense he might have had. He licked into Akaashi's mouth and pulled him closer by the hips. He could feel Akaashi shudder against him, and hear a soft moan in his throat. 

The kiss parted when Akaashi pulled back to catch his breath, muttering an apology. His face was flushed, and he had such a cute expression that Bokuto leaned in and kissed him again. It was as if he lit a flame inside him; with just a glance, Akaashi was able to melt away any form of self-control he'd once had.

They kissed hungrily, as if they needed more of each other in order to survive. Akaashi slid his fingers through Bokuto's hair and pulled him even closer as strong arms wrapped around his back. They parted slowly, and Bokuto couldn't stop looking at Akaashi, who was still so beautiful, even in the dark. 

"U-Um.. Bokuto-san.." Akaashi stammered, looking down as he fought to catch his breath. "D-Do you.. want to stay over tonight?" 

Bokuto's eyes widened at the suggestion, and he swallowed thickly. He almost couldn't speak when he looked back up at him, lips swollen from kissing and his eyes blown wide with lust. "Y-Yeah, I'd like that, Akaashi."

Akaashi smiled softly at him and leaned in for another kiss, which Bokuto returned with earnest. Akaashi tasted like tea, mixed with alcohol and the stir-fried vegetables he'd eaten for dinner. His cologne was faint but he couldn't get enough of it. Bokuto parted the kiss and kissed at Akaashi's neck softly until he felt a gentle hand push him back.

He looked up and saw that Akaashi was smiling that slight smile of his. "Bokuto-san.. Let's wait until we get back." Akaashi kissed him gently, then smirked at him. "Let's go."

Bokuto nodded eagerly and followed as Akaashi pulled him by the hand. Kuroo and Kenma were nowhere to be seen by this point, but he didn't think much of it. He was far too distracted by the heat of Akaashi's hand, and the lingering heat from when they'd been pressed together. 

\--

Akaashi was fighting a losing battle against desire. He wanted nothing more than to pull Bokuto close and kiss him, touch him, feel him. Bokuto's hand is so warm, and his lips were tingling. He wanted to have more of Bokuto, and now.

He just wished his apartment wasn't quite so far. He kept walking, feeling his heart pound and an ever-growing heat prick at his skin wherever Bokuto had touched. It was obvious that Bokuto was in the same position he was in because he was incredibly quiet. He looked over at him and was immediately met by eclipsed amber eyes. 

He felt his resolve fade as they both slowed to a stop, staring at one another. Bokuto licked his lips. "Akaashi.." His voice was low, rougher than he'd ever heard it. Bokuto stepped closer, his big hands reaching up and cupping his cheeks. He leaned in and before he could kiss him, Akaashi stopped him, holding him back with his hands on his chest. 

"B-Bokuto-san.. W-we shouldn't.. not out here." Akaashi said, forcing rationality into his voice that he didn't feel. He could feel Bokuto's muscular chest through his clothing and gulped, feeling heat pool in his lower stomach.

Bokuto grinned, confidently. "You want to though." He took a step forward, and Akaashi took a step back.

"T-That doesn't mean we should." Akaashi stammered, somehow blushing darker than before. "C-come on.. Let's go-" His thought was silenced by Bokuto's mouth on his, and he felt that spark. That pure, addictive heat starting in his mouth and spidering out through his entire body.

He kissed back but kept walking, even as he felt Bokuto's hand slip into his hair. He shuddered,and felt a huge rush of embarrassment at the high pitched noise that slipped past his throat. Fortunately, Bokuto paused in his movements enough for Akaashi to pull away again.

"Akaashi, don't hold out on me.." Bokuto rasped out, running his hand down Akaashi's neck, and sending a pleasant shiver through his body.

"G-Good things come to those who wait, Bokuto-san." He said breathily, watching as Bokuto's confidence faltered just slightly and he walked ahead of him. He followed on his heels, and Akaashi had to fight the urge to just turn around and give in to Bokuto's hands.

After ten, agonizingly long minutes, they were at Akaashi's door. A quick glance at the floor after opening the door told Akaashi that Kenma and Kuroo were already inside. As they toed off their shoes and removed their coats, Akaashi could feel Bokuto's eyes on his back. He put his finger in front of his lips as he looked back at Bokuto. He walked down the hall, pausing at Kenma's room and peeking inside. He smiled when he saw Kuroo and Kenma playing a videogame on the floor. 

He felt Bokuto's hand brush over the small of his back, reminding him that there were more pressing matters at hand, and quickly made his way to his own room. Once the door was shut, he turned to face him as he locked the door. He stepped close and Bokuto took his mouth again, his hands falling to his hips and sliding under the hem of his shirt. Akaashi's skin erupted in goosebumps at the contact, and he tipped his hips into the touch.

Bokuto parted the kiss with a grin and pulled Akaashi's shirt off over his head. Akaashi gladly complied, but he felt incredibly self-conscious when Bokuto's eyes trailed down his body. 

"You're so beautiful, Akaashi.." He said, stroking his sides as Akaashi looked away embarrassedly. Instead of a reply, he pulled at Bokuto's shirt until he raised his arms so Akaashi could remove it. He ran his fingers down his chest and abs as he dropped the shirt to the floor, eyes flicking over his thick arms and the 'V' that disappeared into his jeans. 

"Have you seen yourself?" Akaashi asked, his throat dry and his voice a low whisper. His fingers traced over the firm lines of muscles, and gingerly over bruises scattered about here and there. He licked his lips, Bokuto's body was absolutely gorgeous.

Bokuto laughed, a low and beautiful sound that made Akaashi's heart stop. "I have, and you're still beautiful." He pulled him close, kissing Akaashi's lips softly as he slides his hands over his back. The feeling of skin on skin was incredible, sending pleasant shivers through Akaashi's body as he held onto Bokuto's strong shoulders.

Parting the kiss, Bokuto trailed his lips along Akaashi's jaw, pressing a wet kiss to his neck. Akaashi sighed softly, feeling Bokuto's hot mouth leave wet kisses along his neck and shoulders, lightly sucking on his skin. He panted hard, biting his lip. "Bokuto-san..!" He gasped as Bokuto bit down and sucked almost painfully at his throat. He felt a soft smirk against the bite on his neck as Bokuto's hot tongue licked over it. Akaashi felt his entire body tremor pleasantly at the sensation.

"Akaashi.." He breathed hotly as he slid his hands down over his rear. Akaashi felt his strong hands grip his ass through his jeans and rocked his hips forward, groaning softly. He walked over to the bed as he trailed his hands over Bokuto's muscular body, dragging his nails down his shoulder blades and relishing in the deep groan it pulled from his throat.

His jeans were becoming uncomfortably tight, every sensation seeming to go directly to his cock. Bokuto didn't seem to be much better, though. Akaashi pulled away, and took a step back, holding Bokuto in place with one palm pressed to his chest. He could feel his pounding heart, mimicking his own. He looked over the man in front of him and felt an extreme sense of pride. He was panting, painfully hard in his jeans with a flushed face, and a thin sheen of sweat had formed over his skin. He was beautiful, his eyes blown wide and hungry, and his hair in a disarray. All because of him.

\--

Akaashi stepped closer to him and smirked. "Don't move, Bokuto-san." He said, but it sounded more like an order. Bokuto swallowed thickly and nodded, feeling Akaashi's hand slide from his chest, down to his pants line. He didn't know why, but the order sent a wave of pleasure through his body. Those delicate looking fingers pinched open the button on his jeans effortlessly. His other hand slid over his abdomen as he pulled down the zipper with agonizingly slow movements. 

Bokuto watched, captivated by beautiful eyes that never faltered. He willed his hands to stay at his sides, even as Akaashi's hand slipped past the waistband of his underwear and wrapped around his cock. He breathed in and whispered Akaashi's name, feeling him tug at his embarrassingly wet member while his other hand pushed his pants and underwear down so they pooled around his ankles. He wanted to touch, he needed to touch.

"You want me, right, Bokuto-san?" His voice was rough with lust and his eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't dare move, even as Akaashi's hand worked his dick. 

Bokuto nodded eagerly, groaning as he felt Akaashi's thumb slick over the head of his cock. "P-Please." He rasped, his fists clenched at his sides.

"You want to touch me?" If he didn't know better, he'd think Akaashi was completely unphased. But his eyes were so dark, and so sweltering hot that Bokuto knew it was the opposite. He gave Bokuto's member a firm squeeze, which hitched his breath in his throat and he nodded quickly.

"C-can I, Akaashi?" He panted out, his voice cracking. He could feel tension in his entire body as he fought to not move and definitely not touch the gorgeous human being that stood before him. 

Akaashi's eyes shined and his lips curled into a small smile. "You may." His head tilted slightly and Bokuto's heart hammered hard against his ribcage. He didn't need to be told twice as his hands found their way to Akaashi's waistband, and made quick work of removing his pants and underwear.

Akaashi's cock bounced free of his pants and Bokuto immediately took it into his hand and started pumping it. Akaashi was even more wet than he'd been, and his hand slicked over him with relative ease. He let out a quiet moan and held onto Bokuto's shoulder with his free hand. He leaned in to lick and suckle at Bokuto's neck.

"Akaashi.." He breathed, turning them around and walking towards the bed again. He lifted up Akaashi, who yelped in surprise, and the sound was so cute that he had to stop and stare at him. Akaashi's hand fell away from his dick in favor of holding onto the back of Bokuto's neck. 

He laid him down on the bed and climbed above him, looking down at the man below him as their cocks slicked together, both dripping precum obscenely from their slits. Bokuto leaned down and licked into Akaashi's mouth, feeling one of Akaashi's hands weave into his hair as he kissed him feverishly. Akaashi was rocking his hips up into Bokuto's, rutting their cocks messily together as they both groaned quietly at the friction. 

Bokuto took one hand and wrapped it around the both of them, bucking his hips down into the grip of his hand as Akaashi did the same. They bucked and rolled their hips together into Bokuto's hand as they finally parted the kiss to breathe. 

"K-Koutarou.." Akaashi's velvety voice rasped quietly into his ear. Bokuto groaned outwardly at the use of his given name, and moved his hand and hips faster "G-Gonna cum, Koutarou.." Akaashi groaned, bucking his hips upwards in hurried motions, gasping quietly as his voice raised in pitch. 

Bokuto came hard against his hand and their stomachs, followed shortly by Akaashi's own orgasm that made him shake and cling to Bokuto's shoulders, digging his nails into his skin. They didn't move for a minute or two, and simply panted against each other's necks as they came down from their high. 

"Fuck, Akaashi.." Bokuto spoke quietly as he pushed himself up. Akaashi's eyes were barely open and he had the softest smile on his face as he stared up at him. Bokuto reached for the tissues on Akaashi's bedside table and wiped the cum from their stomachs and hands.

"Bokuto-san.." Akaashi sat up and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Bokuto's lips. "Will you stay with me?" He whispered, his voice was pleading, and even if it wasn't, Bokuto knew he'd never say no.

"Of course." Bokuto smiled as he tossed the tissues into the garbage and flopped down beside him. They settled into a spooning position and Bokuto pressed his face into Akaashi's shoulder blades, kissing his spine softly. He could get used to this.

\--

Akaashi awoke to the sound of knocking on the apartment door. (Rather insistent knocking, he might add.) He pulled out of Bokuto's arms carefully so he wouldn't wake him up, and smiled. He looked so cute when he was asleep. He made a mental note to take a picture when he got back and went to his dresser.

The knocking grew a little louder, and Akaashi hurried to pull on a tank top and pajama pants as he made his way down the hallway to the front door. "I'm coming." Akaashi said as he yawned.

He unlatched the locks and opened it, seeing Suzume standing there with Shouyou. "You didn't answer your phone, Keiji." She said, frowning. 

"Sorry, I must have left it in my coat last night." He said with another yawn.

"I need you to take Shouyou. I have to.." her voice trailed off as she stared at his throat, and he clapped his hand over where her eyes had locked, remembering the way Bokuto had sucked his neck last night. She gave him a disapproving look. "I have to work." She said, her tone completely different than before.

"Yeah, I'll take care of him." Akaashi said, glancing down. Shouyou looked between the two of them and blinked. "Have a good day at work, neechan."

"Have a good day, Mommy." Shouyou said as he hugged her and Suzume pat his head with a smile. 

"You have fun, ok?" She said, then looked up at Akaashi with a hard glare before she turned and walked down the stairs. He brought Shouyou inside and sighed, feeling that familiar dread in the pit of his stomach as he shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter~!


	13. Shattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded this chapter early since I'm not sure of the next time I'll be online. Please enjoy~

"Did you eat yet, Shouyou?" Akaashi asked, bringing his nephew into the living room. He sat him on the couch and turned on the TV for him, putting on a cartoon as he sat beside his nephew.

Shouyou nodded. "I had pancakes!" He said happily, then blinked, reaching forward and gently running tiny fingers over his throat. "What happened, Ojichan? Does it hurt?"

Akaashi averted his eyes. "It doesn't hurt, I'm ok." 

"But what happened?" Shouyou asked again, looking up at him with big, worried eyes. He began to panic, searching his mind for a believable story, but to no avail.

"Well, you see, I don't really remember." Akaashi smiled weakly. "I'll have to ask Bokuto-san. He was there." 

"You hung out with Bokuto without me?!" Shouyou groaned, pouting. 

"Sorry, Shouyou. Just watch cartoons for now. I'll be right back." He stood and received a nod from his nephew. 

Once he was sure Shouyou was completely engrossed in the cartoon, he went back to his bedroom and blushed when he saw Bokuto's back from the doorway. He quickly shut the door and racked his brain for what he should do. He'd left scratches on Bokuto's shoulders last night, and Akaashi felt like he'd faint. He pulled the largest pair of sweats and the biggest t-shirt he owned out of his dresser and set them on the bed. He crawled into bed and gently shook Bokuto awake. He still couldn't believe he had Bokuto in his bed and blushed darkly.

"Bokuto-san.. wake up, Bokuto-san." He said, looking down at his sleeping face as he brushed hair from his eyes and shook his shoulder.

"Mmn.. 'Kaashi~" He grumbled, sitting up just enough to sling his arm around Akaashi and pull him close.

"Honestly, Bokuto-san," Akaashi frowned, being held hostage by a nude Bokuto and feeling incredibly distracted. "Wake up." He said, stroking his hair softly.

"Why..? M'comfy.." Bokuto sighed, nuzzling into Akaashi's neck. 

"Shouyou is here. I need your help." He said, heaving out a sigh. "Seriously."

"Okay, okay.." He slowly sits up, and yawns, pulling Akaashi up with him. 

He huffed lightly, and rolled his eyes. "You need to get dressed." He said. "We have a story to make up."

"A story?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at Akaashi.

"Look." He looked up, exposing his neck to Bokuto so he could see the angry red and purple bruise just above his Adam's apple. 

"Oh." Bokuto blushed. "Sorry. It doesn't hurt, does it?"

Akaashi sighed. "No, it doesn't. But you need to help me come up with a story to tell Shouyou." He pulled away, and Bokuto sighed. Akaashi handed the clothes to Bokuto. "These are the biggest clothes I own. We need to cover.. those um.. scratches too."

"Scratches?" Bokuto asked as he pulled on the sweats. Akaashi sighed and pointed to the mirror on his door. 

"Look for yourself." He looked down, embarrassedly. 

Bokuto nodded and got up turning his back to the mirror and looking over his shoulder. Akaashi had to bite his lip and look away. Bokuto fit in his sweats, even if they were a little tight. But it was the flexing of his muscles that he couldn't get distracted by.

"Oh wow." Bokuto grinned sheepishly, walking back to the bed and pulling on the t-shirt. It was tight in the chest and shoulders, and it was a little short. Oh, God was not of Akaashi's side today. "Now, what do you think I should tell him?"

"I told him I didn't remember what happened. I'm sorry I threw you under the bus like this. I just couldn't come up with anything." He sighed. 

"Don't worry. Owl handle this." Bokuto smirked as he walked over and wrapped his arms around the small of Akaashi's back, Akaashi had to fight back laughter at the dumb pun. "You can count on me." He winked. For some reason, Akaashi didn't feel very confident about this situation.

\--

Akaashi didn't know what he'd expected, but it definitely wasn't this. Bokuto was sitting on the couch retelling the fantastical story of what he'd called "The Grand Rescue of Akaashi." He listened with a blank expression despite the internal catastrophe that was his nerves.

Bokuto told a tall tale about how Akaashi had been attacked by this half-man, half-tiger monster who'd attempted to choke him and kidnap him. Apparently, he'd been listening to his music as he was walking home when the beast attacked from the shadows in the night. It grabbed Akaashi by the neck and squeezed hard enough to bruise his throat, and if it weren't for Bokuto's incredible strength he'd have surely died. Bokuto said that the tiger-man-beast had attacked him but he was able to stop it before it got very far. He'd escaped with only a few scratches. 

"Whoa~!" Shouyou exclaimed. "I wanna see your battle wounds, Bokuto!!" Akaashi's heart dropped.

"Alright." He pulled off his shirt, turning so Shouyou could see the scratches. "I'm super strong so I got away with just this. Pretty cool, huh?" Akaashi rubbed his temples even as his nephew's eyes sparkled and he totally believed this horrible story.

"Yeah, yeah! Super cool! Thank you for saving my Ojichan!!" He hugged Bokuto tightly, before pulling back and smiling excitedly.

"Everything I just told you is a secret though because I'm a super hero. You can't tell anyone, alright?" Bokuto smiled at Shouyou, holding his finger in front of his lips in a hush motion. Shouyou nodded enthusiastically.

"Got it!" He grinned back at Bokuto, who gave Akaashi a look that said 'mission accomplished.'

Akaashi just looked at him as he pulled his shirt back on. How could someone so ridiculous be so cute? He didn't get it. Even though that story was embarrassingly bad, and completely far-fetched, and full of plot-holes, watching him interact with Shouyou made him like him even more. 

\--

It wasn't long after that the ineviteble happened. Akaashi had been waiting for that moment since his sister had talked to him in the café, but it didn't make the situation easier. His phone was ringing practically nonstop. He'd eventually turned off the vibrating so he could ignore it and concentrate on his upcoming competition. There was only a few weeks left until he had to compete. He needed to stay focused, and couldn't be bothered by the nagging phone, that he needed to answer eventually.

It wasn't until he got distracted on the ice that Oikawa had said anything. The timing for his routine was all wrong, he messed up the steps, and fell as he landed from a small jump. He didn't even push himself back up and just sat up on the ice, feeling the cold bite into his hands. Oikawa came out onto the ice and helped him up, taking him off the ice and sitting him down. 

"You need to tell me what's wrong." Oikawa said, his tone was uncharacteristically serious. "I swear, if Owl-kun hurt you.."

"It's not that, Oikawa." Akaashi sighed. "He's been perfect. I couldn't ask for anyone better.. I just think that high school might be happening again." 

Oikawa stared at him, long and hard. "You mean what happened with Konoha-chan?" He asked, his voice softening a bit. Akaashi tensed and nodded slowly. "Do you know for a fact that that's the case?"

Akaashi shook his head. "But why else would my father bother calling me so suddenly? Suzume saw me with this the morning after it happened." Akaashi pointed to the fading hickey, then frowned. "Then the next day, my father decided to call me for the first time in months. It's not a coincidence."

"You can't hide forever, Keiji-chan." Oikawa sighed. "You're a big boy now. Your parents can't dictate your life like they did in high school. Just because things messed up with Konoha-chan, doesn't mean that it'll happen the same way with Owl-kun." His voice was laced with truth, but Akaashi's stomach churned, and he felt sick to his stomach. He didn't want his family getting involved. Not again. 

"Oikawa.. I've gotten 76 missed calls from my father the last time I checked." Akaashi sighed, leaning his head into his hands. "I can't handle this so close to the competition." 

"Obviously." Oikawa said, sighing. "You've been pushing yourself too much in the past few days. You're going to end up getting hurt. I would know." He said in reference to a knee injury he'd gotten years back from pushing too hard. 

"Yeah, I know.." Akaashi groaned, feeling his heart sink. "I'm trying not to let this get to me.."

"You're doing a poor job." He said, bluntly. "Its important to practice, yes.. But if you're stiff, you're not going to be able to put out your full potential, no matter how much you try."

"What do you suggest, Oikawa?" Akaashi asked, looking at his friend with his hands shaking softly.

He wrapped an arm around Akaashi and sighed. "What, indeed." Oikawa pursed his lips, a habit he'd formed for when he was contemplating something. "I think you should answer your phone and stop avoiding it like the plague. Then we'll work things out one thing at a time."

Akaashi nodded. "Yeah."

"Good boy. Let's get out of here and get this matter settled." Oikawa smiled, then untied his own laces on his skates. It was times like these that he was truly glad Oikawa was his friend. He may have been a pain in the ass, but he'd never let his friends self destruct, if he could help it.

\--

Oikawa called for what he'd called a 'team meeting.' It was a codename for 'support circle' that, according to Oikawa, sounded cooler. So, according to protocol, Suga and Kenma ended up showing up at Oikawa's apartment so Oikawa could brief them on the situation. Akaashi had never needed a 'team meeting' called for his own sake before, and felt incredibly embarrassed. He appreciated the sentiment but he didn't really want to have all this attention, even if it was from his best friends. 

They sat around Oikawa's kitchen table and Kenma wasn't even playing a videogame to pass the time. "We have a situation." Oikawa started, staring menacingly at Akaashi's phone which sat in the middle of the table.

"What's going on?" Suga asked, looking at Akaashi worriedly. 

"First you have to know the background." Oikawa said. "That is, if you're comfortable enough to share it." He looked at Akaashi. It was rare to see Oikawa with such concern for others, so it threw him off a little.

"Yeah.. I'll tell you guys." Akaashi muttered, taking a deep breath, and looking down at his hands. "Back in high school, I had a senpai I really liked, named Konoha Akinori. We dated for a few months, but when my parents found out, they forbid us to see each other." Akaashi's voice cracked a little so Oikawa took over.

"Keiji-chan was a wreck. His father somehow convinced Konoha-chan's parents to transfer him to another school." Oikawa said softly. "It wasn't pretty. And he started setting up Akaashi with his co-worker's daughters from different schools. He'd had to pretend to date one to get his parents off his back."

Kenma nodded. "So, now you're afraid that your parents found out about Koutarou?" He asked.

"Precisely." Oikawa answered, nodding. "And because he's no longer a child, they might have set up marriage proposal interviews for him."

"You never talked about Konoha-san before." Suga said softly. "Is that why you were so cautious of intimate relationships in college?" 

Akaashi nodded. "Suzume found out then, and told my parents. I think the same thing has happened now.. My father hasn't stopped calling me for 4 days now. I have more than 80 missed calls."

"Given the situation, it's understandable that you're worried.. but you need to answer his calls." Suga sighed. "You can't hide from it forever."

"I know." Akaashi sighed, feeling Kenma put his hand on top of his own.

"Call him. We're here for you." Kenma said softly. 

Akaashi felt calmer, but that wasn't saying much. He felt like he was going to choke, and fought to keep his composure. He picked his phone up, feeling his heart hammer in his chest. His phone lit up just then and Akaashi saw that his father was calling him once again. It took him all the courage he had to answer the phone at all.

He pressed the phone to his ear, and gulped. "Hello?" 

"Keiji. Why did it take you days to answer your phone?" His father's voice was cold, calculated. 

"I misplaced it." He lied. "Sorry, father."

He made a clicking sound that meant he didn't believe him. "Anyway, Suzume told me that you're seeing someone. I want to meet her." 

"I am seeing someone. But he's definitely not a her." Akaashi was feigning confidence, even though his hands and shoulders trembled. He looked at his friends who stayed quiet, but shared the same supportive expression.

"I thought you'd gotten that out of your system." His father said, with a heavy sigh. "No matter, you're at the right age for marriage, anyway."

"I'm not-"

"I've set up several marriage interviews. One of them is with Shimizu Kiyoko-san, the female figure skater." His father said.

"I have no interest in that sort of thing." Akaashi said, feeling his anxiety spike. He felt sick to his stomach and listened as his father fell silent for a minute.

"Shimizu is quite beautiful. They call her the nation's jewel. Your children will be prodigies." His father continued, obviously ignoring his objections.

"It won't be happening. I'm not interested." Akaashi said again. "Don't misunderstand, father. I appreciate your offer, but I won't be going on any marriage proposal interviews."

"You can't play around forever." His father said, his voice low. "You need to grow up and marry."

"Look how well Suzume's marriage turned out." Akaashi frowned. "I'm not doing it just because you tell me to."

"You will. Suzume agrees that Shouyou-kun shouldn't be around you if you're doing such perverse things." His father said coldly. "Either you go to the interview, or you can't see Shouyou-kun any longer. I'll e-mail you the details of the interview this evening." His father hung up, and Akaashi looked shell-shocked. He practically dropped his phone onto the table, wiping tears from his eyes with his trembling fingers.

"What happened?" Suga asked, kindly, even as Akaashi stared wide-eyed into nothing. He blinked at his friend's voice and sucked in a breath of air, but when he opened his mouth he couldn't speak. He choked and clutched his chest, his body broke into tremors as tears fell from his eyes freely. It wasn't long before he felt 3 sets of arms wrap around him and his friends' voices whispering words he couldn't make out over his hiccups and heavy heartbeat. He felt completely broken, and had no idea what to do.


	14. Protective Mother Bears

Akaashi didn't stop crying until couldn't physically cry anymore, he was all out of tears. Instead of the overwhelming sadness, he felt weak, broken, lost. His eyes hurt, his head hurt, his throat hurt, his heart hurt. It was more painful than he'd remembered it being. It hadn't been this painful with Konoha-san, it couldn't have been. He was sure if it'd hurt this much that he'd have died. 

He looked up at his friends, who all waited patiently to know what exactly had been said. Oikawa, Suga, and Kenma all had equal expressions of worry, and it was one of the most comforting things he'd ever felt. He'd have been moved to tears again if he hadn't exhausted them already. At least through everything, he wouldn't lose them. 

"I-It's worse.. than I thought it'd be.." Akaashi spoke finally, not recognizing his own voice. His voice was hoarse, and uneven. It was more of an eerie whisper than his voice now, and it sounded empty. 

Oikawa nodded, pulling away from the group to get Akaashi a water bottle from the fridge. "Here.. You sound like a dying man in the desert." He said with a soft smile, as Akaashi took it. He drank the water down gratefully.

"Thank you." Akaashi said, sounding a little better, even if he didn't feel any better. "I um.. I have to go on a marriage interview." He said quietly. 

Suga gave him a concerned expression. "What about Bokuto-san?" He asked. 

"I could lose Shouyou if I don't at least go." Akaashi muttered, running his hand through his hair.

"Keiji." Kenma frowned. "You can't just let Koutarou go, I haven't ever seen you as happy as you are with him."

"You deserve to be happy, Keiji-chan." Oikawa said, darkly. "Should I have a talk with your father? There's no reason to make you choose between Shou-chan and Owl-kun." He was smiling but there was no humor there. "It's been a long time since I've seen your parents, anyway."

"Now, Oikawa-kun. Violence isn't the answer, even if it is the most satisfying solution." Suga said, his expression mirroring Oikawa's.

"I'll just do the interviews! There's nothing saying that I have to marry anyone, even if I go." Akaashi interrupted before anyone decided to go and murder his parents. 

"But Akaashi-kun, you're tall, talented, and beautiful. Anyone that sees you will want to marry you. You have to get out while you still can." Suga said with a wag of his finger. "Unless.." his eyes flashed with an intense amount of mischief.

"Oooh~ this sounds fun. I want in, Kou-chan." Oikawa smirked, leaning on the table with a dark grin.

"I'll help how I can." Kenma said, his eyes filled with a determination that Akaashi had only seen when he was fighting a boss in his videogames.

"Guys, really, this isn't necessary-" Akaashi started, only to get Oikawa's finger pressed to his lips.

"Now hush and let your friends take care of you." Oikawa smiled and winked at him.

He shoved Oikawa's hand away, and sighed. "What did you have in mind, Suga?"

"I'm glad you asked." Suga grinned. "This is a classic case of sabotaging a blind date." 

"Oh, like showing up late, dressing badly, not bringing money, and ignoring her." Oikawa cooed, leaning his face into his hands. "And we can probably stage an encounter with an angry ex, too."

Akaashi looked back and forth between Suga and Oikawa, eyes wide in shock. "You two are evil."

"Do you want to marry little miss not-Bokuto?" Suga asked, crossing his arms.

"No! Not at all, I-I mean.. I just don't want to hurt someone that has nothing to do with this." He sighed, rubbing his neck. "It's not like I want to upset Shimizu-san."

"Shimizu-san would probably take better to the truth.." Oikawa said, nodding to himself. 

"What about Koutarou? How's he going to react to you going for marriage interviews?" Kenma speaks up, and Akaashi groans, burying his face in his arms.

"I don't know." He whined, his voice muffled by his arms. 

"Then, why don't we get him in on this?" Oikawa suggested as he picked up Akaashi's phone. "I think it's about time we all officially met Owl-kun, anyway."

"Call him, Oikawa~" Suga said. "Its better to have everyone on the same page, anyway."

"What?" Akaashi looked up, his eyes wide in mild panic.

"You need to tell him." Kenma said, sternly.

"I'll tell him to come here." Oikawa smirked. "That way he's not left in the dark."

Akaashi closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright, alright. Go ahead." 

Oikawa grinned and dialed Bokuto's phone number.

\--

Bokuto had been jogging through town and stopped at a vending machine to get a sports drink. He popped coins into the machine and pressed the button for his drink, hearing the machine make a groaning sound as it dropped the bottle into the box at the bottom of the machine with a loud thump. He bent down and grabbed the drink, and stood back up as his phone rang. 

He blinked and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Once he saw Akaashi's smile on the screen, he smiled to himself and pressed the answer button. "Akaashi~"

"Sorry, but you're wrong, Owl-kun." The voice on the other end of the line said, and Bokuto racked his brain, trying to remember which of his friends this was.

"Oikawa, right?" He asked after a minute.

"Ah, so he's talked about me." Oikawa giggled. "Well, Owl-kun, unfortunately I didn't call you just to chat. I need you to come over."

Bokuto was a bit thrown off, and something told him that something was wrong. "Is Akaashi alright?" He asked, worriedly.

"He's right here. He'll be okay. We just need you to join in on our team meeting. It's of utmost importance. I'll tell you my address, where are you right now?" What Oikawa said wasn't exactly reassuring, and made him panic.

"I'm out on a jog." Bokuto said. "Just text me the address and I'll be there soon."

"Ah, good, good. See you soon then, Owl-kun." Oikawa hung up the phone and not even a minute later, a message came with Oikawa's address. Bokuto knew where the building was and sighed, thankful that they weren't too far away. He took a sip of his sports drink and took off on a sprint.

The idea that Akaashi was hurt fuelled him, he grew worried and felt his heart hammer in his chest. Why hadn't Akaashi called himself? What was going on? He shook his head and looked at the message again as he got to the front of the building. 2nd floor. He ran up the flight of stairs to room 6, and knocked on the door.

When the door opened, Bokuto had to look down and saw that Kenma had answered the door. "That was fast, Koutarou." He said, letting him in.

"Wow, Owl-kun~ you got here in less than 5 minutes." Oikawa said as he walked to the doorway, and put his hands on his hips. 

"I ran. Where's Akaashi?" He asked, his chest heaving as he toed off his shoes and pulled off the windbreaker he'd been wearing. 

"He's in here," Kenma said, leading him into the apartment, and into a modern kitchen, where he saw who he assumed was Suga patting Akaashi on the back. 

Bokuto walked over and when Akaashi looked up at him, he immediately knew that something was very wrong. His eyes were red and puffy, tear stains trailed down his cheeks. And all that was coupled with a miserable, helpless, and exhausted expression on his face. Whatever happened lit a flame of anger inside him; how dare someone make Akaashi cry like that.

Akaashi stood up and his knees shook under him, Bokuto rushed to wrap an arm around him so he didn't fall. "You should sit back down.." he said softly, blushing as Akaashi leaned into his chest. "Akaashi, what happened?" He asked, stroking Akaashi's curls with his free hand.

"Bokuto-san.. I have a problem." His voice sounded broken, and even quieter than usual. Akaashi looked up at him and stroked his cheek with trembling fingers. 

Bokuto smiled softly and took his hand in his, leaning their foreheads together. "Sit down, Akaashi.. whatever it is, I'll help you however I can."

A soft chuckle sounded from the table, and drew Bokuto's attention to the silver haired man that was grinning at them. Akaashi's face flushed darkly and he nodded, sitting down again. 

"You're Suga-san, right?" Bokuto asked, receiving a pleasant smile from the man at the table.

"Correct. And you're Bokuto. Sorry for interrupting your moment." Suga flashed a grin at Akaashi who frowned slightly. Bokuto took the seat beside Akaashi, watching as Kenma and Oikawa took their seats at the table.

"So what's this about a problem?" Bokuto asked, worriedly. 

"Akaashi's beloved neechan has started some drama, unfortunately." Oikawa sighed, with a pout. "And since it involves you, we figured you should have a say in what we do. Thus, the team meeting." He gestured grandly at the table.

Akaashi took Bokuto's hand in his and sighed, leaning his head in his own free hand. "L-let me explain it, properly." He looked at him, and even with all the sadness etched into his face, Bokuto couldn't find a thing about him that wasn't beautiful. "Suzume saw the mark you left on my neck, and called my parents. It isn't the first time she's done this, but this time, my father decided to set up marriage proposal interviews for me." Akaashi's brow furrowed, and his lips trembled. "I-I told him I was seeing you already, and I didn't want to do any interviews."

Bokuto now understood the awkwardness between Akaashi and his sister, and nodded slowly. "What did he say?" Bokuto asked, cautiously. He didn't want Akaashi to cry again.

"He told me that.. if I want to see Shouyou again, I have to go. Suzume already agreed to this." Akaashi said, his voice cracking in a way that was heartbreaking. 

"Oh." Bokuto said softly. He knew that Shouyou was important to Akaashi, and the idea of losing him was traumatic. He figured he knew where this was going, and gently squeezed Akaashi's hand. He didn't want to lose Akaashi, but he wasn't going to get between Akaashi and Hinata.

"The same thing happened to Akaashi back in high school." Oikawa interrupted. "Fortunately, we're adults now so we're able to fight back. The problem is there's an added variable. And that's Shou-chan."

Suga nodded, with a gentle smile. "And, especially after we've witnessed it for ourselves, there's no way we're going to let him let you go. I've been friends with Akaashi-kun for 5 years, and I've never seen him like someone as much as he likes you."

Bokuto blushed in surprise and looked at Akaashi who was also red-faced and looking at him from the corner of his eye. He smiled shyly and glanced down at his lap, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Bokuto felt warmth in his core, and wanted to kiss Akaashi, but common sense told him to wait.

"Aw, how cute." Oikawa grinned.

"Be nice, Tooru." Kenma muttered.

"Onto business." Suga said as he clapped his hands. "I came up with a brilliant idea. Akaashi will go to the interviews. However, he's not going to get married, or even engaged."

Kenma smiled lightly. "He's going to make it so nobody will want to marry him."

"How can you make it so nobody would want to marry him?" Bokuto asked, loudly. "He's beautiful! No one would turn him away! Have you seen him?!" Oikawa and Suga laughed and Kenma hid his smile behind his hand. Akaashi hides his face in his arm and his ears turned red. "What?"

"You're so pure~" Suga chuckled, leaning his chin in his palm. "You're definitely a keeper. Just remember, you're not allowed to hurt Akaashi-kun. We'll come after you if you do." Bokuto watched as Suga's sweet smile turned terrifying, and glanced at Oikawa and Kenma who had the same protective 'mother bear' vibe.

"Understood." Bokuto saluted them as Akaashi put his head down on the table. He'd never had any intentions of hurting Akaashi, but now he was scared he'd do so on accident and have to face the wrath of these men. When Bokuto looked at Akaashi, he noticed his neck was turning red. "Sorry, Akaashi."

"Alright. So here's what's going to happen.." Oikawa started, with a grin. "We'll come up with the plan for the dates in question, as they come up. Akaashi, you're to forward the information to everyone, and we'll take care of the rest. Just never show up less than 30 minutes late for any of them. It's best for you to use improv to make it believable from the outside."

Akaashi sat up and nodded. "Got it." When Bokuto looked at him, he saw this sense of determination in his face and smiled softly. Akaashi wasn't willing to give him up, and he almost couldn't believe it. When Akaashi looked into his eyes, there was no doubt about it. He was in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience guys!! I'll update again as soon a I can!! Please enjoy this chapter, as I know that the last one ended pretty badly(sorry!!)


	15. Stay With Me

After everyone had exchanged the proper contact information, and got everything sorted out as far as their sabotage plans go, Akaashi and Bokuto left Oikawa's place. Bokuto offered to bring him home but Akaashi shook his head and asked to go to Bokuto's apartment instead. He said that he wanted to be "under the radar" so he could rest, and calm his head without worrying about the interruption of his family. 

Akaashi was quiet for most of the walk, and only responded when absolutely necessary. Bokuto knew and understood that the other felt tired, and frustrated, and trapped. He could tell by his face that Akaashi wasn't sure that their plans would even work. Once inside the apartment, he locked the door and lead him to his bedroom so he could sleep. 

However when Bokuto turned to leave the room, Akaashi grabbed the hem of his shirt and whispered, "Stay with me?" So, of course he stayed with him and laid beside him in his bed. They were there for several hours, just laying together.

Bokuto laid in bed watching as Akaashi rested his head on his bicep. Akaashi's eyes were closed and his breathing was slow. He watched this beautiful man rest, the exhaustion from earlier looked like it had dissipated by this point and his dark eyelashes contrasted beautifully against his pale skin. He stroked his cheek with his knuckles, marveling at the smoothness of his skin. Akaashi turned on his side to face Bokuto, his eyes fluttering open slowly.

"Akaashi.." He said softly, smiling to himself as Akaashi reached forward and brushed his delicate fingers over his cheek. "You're my boyfriend, right?" 

Akaashi stopped moving and his cheeks flushed a soft pink. "We never labelled what we are.. but I'd like to think so." He looked into Bokuto's eyes with a timid expression. 

"Then we're officially boyfriends, starting now." Bokuto grinned. 

"You're embarrassing.." Akaashi mumbled, lightly shoving his boyfriend who laughed and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for letting me come home with you, Bokuto-san." 

"What kinda man would I be if I sent you away after everything that happened today?" He asked, rhetorically. "Besides, the day I turn down the chance to be with you will probably never happen." He grinned at his boyfriend and watched as the discomfort from the day disappeared from his eyes.

"Thanks, for today.." Akaashi smiled softly. "And that time from before.. when you came when I needed you."

"I really didn't do anything special." He said, stunned by Akaashi's smile once again. 

"You did, though." He kissed his cheek softly, running his fingers through Bokuto's hair. He grinned, wrapping his arms around Akaashi. Bokuto kissed Akaashi's jaw before nuzzling into his neck. "T-That tickles, Bokuto-san..!" 

At those words, Bokuto stopped and sat up, grinning widely down at him. "Are you ticklish Akaashi?" 

Akaashi looked up at his boyfriend with wide eyes and frowned. "Don't even thin-" he started, but before he could get finish his thought, Bokuto started tickling him and Akaashi broke out in laughter. He started squirming around and pushing at the more muscular man, in a vain attempt to stop him. "Ah.. s-sto-Boku-!" His face turned red and he shoved at Bokuto's shoulder, only to have his wrist pinned down. 

Then suddenly the tickling stopped and Bokuto stared down at his boyfriend with wide eyes. His chest was heaving and he opened his eyes slowly. He looked up at him and Bokuto suddenly felt his face flush. Akaashi's shirt had risen up to show his stomach, and Bokuto couldn't stop his eyes from roaming his body. He looked so good pinned under him like this.

When he felt heat in his lower stomach, he pulled back and got off of Akaashi in rushed motions, muttering apologies and laughing awkwardly. He sat at the end of the bed and ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm down. 'What am I? Some kind of animal? Akaashi had a rough day, calm down. There's no way he'd be in the mood after today.' He thought, as the bed shifted behind him.

He looked back, watching as Akaashi approached him and slid his arms around his neck, leaning his face into the nape. He felt soft huffs of warm breath against his neck and swallowed thickly. "Bokuto-san, is everything alright?" He asked softly, his voice was like honey, and Bokuto felt his neck and ears heating up. Akaashi nuzzled softly against his skin and pressed a small kiss just below his ear.

"You're evil.." Bokuto said lowly, only to feel a soft smirk against his skin.

"You think so?" Akaashi hummed softly and kissed the shell of Bokuto's ear. "I could say the same thing about you.." 

"You're the one that's seducing me, Akaashi!" Bokuto whined, feeling Akaashi's hands slide down his chest. 

His boyfriend laughed quietly, and turned Bokuto's jaw so he faced him. "I don't understand how you can claim that I'm the one seducing you.. you're the one that pinned me down and then left.. leaving me owl pent up like that.." Bokuto started to laugh at the dumb pun, but stopped when Akaashi's thin fingers brushed over his lips. "That wasn't very fair, was it?" 

Bokuto gulped dryly. "You're so beautiful, it's unfair." He said, grinning as a warm blush blossomed across Akaashi's cheeks.

"Y-You're so embarrassing.." he muttered, glancing away when Bokuto turned around and cupped his cheek. He looked up and Bokuto smiled at the embarrassed expression on Akaashi's face. He leaned forward and kissed his boyfriend, feeling Akaashi lean in and sigh into the kiss.

Akaashi moved closer and slid his hand along Bokuto's thigh, sending shivers along his spine. He lightly slipped his tongue along Akaashi's bottom lip, hearing him gasp softly and feeling as fingers slid into his hair. It was nice, Akaashi's soft lips sliding along with his own in such a calm, intimate kiss as their tongues tasted one another. Bokuto smiled at the faint taste of tea, and something sweet on Akaashi's tongue. He couldn't get enough of that warm, comfortable taste and wrapped his arm around Akaashi's waist so he could pull him closer. Once Bokuto had his boyfriend in his lap, he parted the kiss, smirking lightly as he looked up at Akaashi. 

His cheeks were dusted pink and his eyes were barely open. He watched as Akaashi's lips curled into a smile. He was so beautiful, his black curls were sticking up in every direction and he was a panting mess. He loved that he was the one that got to see Akaashi like this. This was because of him, and no one else.

"I think you're wrong, Bokuto-san.." Akaashi said, settling onto Bokuto's lap and running his hands through his hair slowly.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, stroking over the small of Akaashi's back and his hips.

Bokuto watched as Akaashi leaned in and whispered softly. "I think you're the one that's beautiful." His lips twitched into a smirk as Bokuto felt his cheeks warm. 

"Now, who's being embarrassing?" He asked, chuckling as he kissed him again. 

Akaashi hummed and slid his hands down Bokuto's back and pulled at his shirt, parting the kiss to remove it and toss it to the floor. He watched as Akaashi bit his lip, running his fingers along his shoulders and arms. Bokuto couldn't help but chuckle, then he pulled Akaashi's shirt off and ran his hands over his lean, muscular frame. Akaashi leaned into his touch and sighed as Bokuto kissed his neck.

Bokuto breathed in the scent of Akaashi's cologne and lightly nipped at his neck. He moaned softly, leaning his head back. "C-careful, Bokuto-san.. k-keep the marks below the neck this time.." he panted.

"Alright.." he said against his neck with a smirk, kissing down to Akaashi's chest. He licked and sucked just below the other's collarbone, listening to the soft moan that fell past his lips. 

Akaashi's shoulders shook softly and he rocked his hips forward. "A-ahh.." he gripped Bokuto's hair tightly, making Bokuto hiss and pull back enough so he could kiss him hard. 

Bokuto rolled his hips into Akaashi's, feeling him shudder against him with a quiet moan as he licked into his mouth. He couldn't get enough, Akaashi was intoxicating. He wanted more, he needed more. He ran his hands over Akaashi's back, feeling his muscles flex as they grinded together. 

Eventually Akaashi pulled back and got off of Bokuto's lap. Bokuto got up on his knees, following Akaashi who put his hand on his chest to stop him. "L-Let me do something.." he rasped out, kissing his boyfriend chastely on the lips before he hooked his fingers into the waistband of Bokuto's pants. He nodded and watched as Akaashi tugged his pants to his knees, licking his lips. Bokuto's dick was already tenting his boxers and he received an almost amused smirk from his beautiful boyfriend. 

Akaashi dragged his hands along his abs, progressively moving downward, his eyes hooding as he bent down until his face was level with his cock. He licked a hot, wet stripe along the head of his member through the thin fabric before he sucked on it. Bokuto groaned as he tangled his hands into Akaashi's soft hair. He heard a soft groan as Akaashi backed up a few inches and blew cool air over the wet spot he'd created. Bokuto whined, biting his lip as he watched Akaashi make eye contact with him. He leaned upward and kissed his stomach, pulling Bokuto's underwear down so his dick sprung free. 

Akaashi's dark eyes pinned him in place and he gulped, feeling his hot stare move over his body. He felt almost self-conscious, watching Akaashi sit back on his knees and smirk at him. "Please lie down." He said, and Bokuto nodded, kicking off his pants and underwear and moving to lie back on the bed quickly as Akaashi crawled between his legs. He ran his hands over Bokuto's thighs before he began kissing and licking his way along his left one. He bit and sucked hard enough to force a strained groan from Bokuto's throat. He raked his nails down his inner thighs as he released the now red flesh of his thigh from his teeth. He licked over it soothingly and pressed a hot kiss to the other thigh as he pulled back just slightly. He cupped his balls in his hand, sending a positive shiver through Bokuto's body. He wrapped his other hand around his dick and kissed just under the head of Bokuto's cock, flicking his tongue along the edge, his eyes staring up at him and watching as the man below him gripped the sheets and hissed. 

Bokuto swallowed thickly, feeling Akaashi's tongue lick up and down his swollen cock, and sending waves of pleasure through his body. Heat was pooling in his lower stomach and he groaned, needing more as he watched his boyfriend lap at his dick. Akaashi took the head into his lips and sucked lightly, watching as Bokuto's head fell back and he bit out curses. Akaashi hummed and pulled back a little, the loss of the warm heat making his boyfriend shake and whine. A pleasant smile pulled at his lips as he moved his hands to Bokuto's thighs and dragged his nails along the innermost parts, watching as muscles tensed under his fingers. 

"A-Akaashi.. oh shit.." He rocked his hips upward, moaning lowly. Akaashi took Bokuto into his mouth and bobbed his head slowly as he slid his hands up and dug his nails into his hips. Bokuto groaned out and hissed, feeling as Akaashi's wet tongue flicked along the underside of his sensitive cock as he took him in and out of his throat. Akaashi was making soft sounds each time his cock hit his throat, and each one made Bokuto hotter. It was becoming overwhelming, the pleasure pooling in his stomach was too much. "S-Stop, A-Akaashi..! P-Please.." he panted, watching as Akaashi pulled off him with an obscene slurping sound. 

"Y-Yes, Bokuto-san?" He asked breathlessly as he sat back on his knees. His cheeks were tinted pink as he wiped drool from his chin with the back of his hand.

"L-Let me touch you.." Bokuto said, his voice rougher than he'd thought it'd be. 

Akaashi's lips curled upward slightly and he nodded slowly. "Come on, then." It sounded almost like a challenge, and one that Bokuto readily accepted. He sat up and pulled Akaashi close to him as he kissed and licked and sucked at every inch of skin he could reach.

He felt as Akaashi's skin pebbled under his hands, and his body shook softly in his grip. He smirked against his chest and leaned down to suckle on Akaashi's nipple, enjoying the high pitched whine it pulled from Akaashi's throat. Bokuto pulled off slowly, one of his hands cupping Akaashi's neglected cock through his pants as he looked up at him. Akaashi was worrying his lip between his teeth and rocked forward into Bokuto's hand, making soft, cute noises as he did so.

"Akaashi.." Bokuto breathed, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw. "Do you want me?" He asked, dragging his lips along his neck before biting and sucking on Akaashi's shoulder.

Tangling his hands into Bokuto's hair, he tipped his head back and moaned. "Y-yeah.. I-I want you, B-Bokuto-san..!" He gasped, closing his eyes. Akaashi pulled at Bokuto's hair, and Bokuto groaned lowly.

As he licked over the dark red mark on Akaashi's shoulder, and smirked against his skin. "Say my name, Keiji.." Bokuto said, pulling back and looking into Akaashi's wide-blown eyes.

"K-Koutarou.. please.. I-I want you, Koutarou.." Akaashi rasped out, and Bokuto inwardly shuddered at the sound of his name on his lips. He turned them around and kissed Akaashi hard, pinning him to the bed and hearing him groan into his mouth as their tongues slid together. Bokuto's hands slid down and pulled off Akaashi's pants and underwear haphazardly. 

As he pulled back from the kiss, Akaashi was whining needily, rocking his hips upward to grind their cocks together. "K-Keiji.. fuck.." Bokuto panted out, holding Akaashi's hip down with his strong hand.

"Koutarou.." Akaashi moaned softly, catching his breath and reaching up to stroke his chest. "Take me, Koutarou.. please.." his begging threw off Bokuto for a second, and he just stared down at him. 

"A-Are you sure?" He asked, blushing hard at the thought. He'd definitely thought about doing it before, and definitely wanted to, but he wanted to make sure Akaashi knew what he was asking for.

He received an eager nod from the man under him. "Oh, please.." he breathed out. Bokuto nodded and got off the bed, quickly. He practically sprinted across the room and flung open his dresser drawer, digging around until he found a condom under his socks. He heard a soft chuckle from the bed and looked back, seeing Akaashi sitting up on his elbows and watching him with an amused expression.

"What?" Bokuto asked, pouting slightly as his face got even hotter.

"You're cute." Akaashi smirked. Bokuto rolled his eyes, going to the bedside table and pulling out a small tube of lube before climbing back onto the bed. "How do you want me?" He asked, his dark eyes shining with need.

"O-On your hands and knees.." Bokuto stammered, feeling a little nervous with Akaashi staring at him. His boyfriend nodded and switched positions, and Bokuto had to look away and take a deep breath. His lean, yet muscular legs and back were so beautiful, and his ass was perfectly round. He felt like he was the luckiest man on the planet. 

He gulped, popping open the lube and pouring a generous amount onto his fingers, and spreading it around before he crawled closer. He rubbed his boyfriend's puckered hole with a fingertip, watching as he shuddered and took a deep breath. Akaashi grabbed one of Bokuto's pillows and leaned his face into it, biting back a soft moan. Bokuto smirked, applying some pressure to his finger, slipping the tip of his finger in and out slowly.

"Mmn~" Akaashi whined, pushing his hips back slightly, urging Bokuto to hurry up. He slowly pushed his finger into Akaashi, watching as his back arched lightly and he gripped the pillow, turning his head and panting out a soft. "K-Koutarou.."

"You look so good, Keiji.." Bokuto said as he started to thrust his finger in and out of him, watching as Akaashi made soft gasps and grunts. He began to curl his fingers in search of Akaashi's prostate, watching Akaashi's reactions to his prodding and thrusting. Akaashi was so hot around his finger and he couldn't help the thoughts of wanting to take him now. He imagined the heat enveloping his cock and groaned lowly in his throat. It wasn't another few seconds before Akaashi yelped and rocked his hips back desperately, and Bokuto knew he'd found it. 

"A-Again..!" Akaashi begged, his back arching and his voice broken. Bokuto complied and thrusts his finger into his spot again, and again, watching Akaashi fall apart because of him, and feeling incredibly proud. He slowly added a second finger, watching as Akaashi burried his face into the pillow and groaned softly.

"A-are you alright?" Bokuto asked, leaning down and kissing his shoulder blades, and stroking his hip soothingly with his free hand.

Akaashi nodded. "K-keep going.." he whispered, whining when Bokuto's fingers hit his prostate again. Bokuto kept up his assault on his prostate, rubbing it as he thrusts his hand inward, and spreading his fingers slowly. "M-More.." Akaashi eventually said, his voice cracking and his breathing heavy. 

Bokuto nodded, pushing in a third finger and immediately rubbing at his prostate and watching as Akaashi tossed his head back and groaned loudly. It was such an incredibly erotic sound that Bokuto nearly came from hearing it. "Oh, fuck, K-Keiji.." he gulped, stopping to catch his breath, watching as his boyfriend shook with need under him.

"K-Koutarou.. please.." he panted out, rocking his hips into Bokuto's fingers with a whine. "I-I'm ready, I need you.. please." Bokuto slid his fingers out slowly, watching as Akaashi whined. His stunning boyfriend looked over his shoulder at him, he was a complete wreck. His neglected member was obscenely dripping precum and his thighs were twitching. 

Bokuto had to close his eyes to collect himself as he reached for the condom. He ripped open the package and rolled the condom onto his cock, groaning softly as he did so. He poured an almost ridiculous amount of lube into his hand and applied a thick coat to his cock, leaning over Akaashi to kiss his back and hearing him moan lightly at the contact. Bokuto smirked against his skin, holding Akaashi's hip in one hand as he positioned himself at his hole with the other.

He slowly pushed his cock head into his ass, groaning as the tight and wet heat twitched against his intrusion. He held Akaashi's hips in both hands now and slowly pushed himself further inside of him, feeling every shift and twitch of Akaashi's hips through his cock. Bokuto panted and leaned over Akaashi so his head rested on his shoulder once he was burried in to the hilt. He could feel Akaashi's erratic heartbeat through his back, and pressed soft kisses to his neck and shoulders.

"M-Move, please.." Akaashi whined, and Bokuto gulped, pulling back and snapping his hips forward, hearing a choked moan force it's way out of Akaashi's mouth. He starts up a slow, hard rhythm, rolling his hips according to Akaashi's moans and whines. 

Eventually Akaashi sobbed out a curse and Bokuto took it as he found his prostate again and thrusted into that spot once more, and hearing him yelp. He smirked and bit down on the fleshy part of his shoulder blade, sucking hard on the skin there until it was red as he continued to thrust into that spot. Bokuto had a bruising grip on Akaashi's hips, fucking into him desperately. Akaashi's body was shaking under him and his hips rocked back helplessly into the thrusts. He was letting out loud whines and gasps that only fuelled Bokuto's ego and made him thrust harder and faster, growling softly against his back.

"K-Kouta-ahhn... Koutarou!" Akaashi whined, burrying his face in the pillow again as he moaned out brokenly. Bokuto felt himself getting close and wrapped his hand around Akaashi's weeping cock. He tugged and pulled at his cock roughly, feeling Akaashi shake under him and yelp into the pillow as he came hard into his hand and onto the bedsheets. Bokuto grunted, hissing against his shoulder as he thrusts faster into him until he cums into the condom inside of him.

"Keiji.. oh my God.." he panted, pressing soft kisses to Akaashi's neck and listening to Akaashi's heavy breathing.

"Wow.." Akaashi spoke after a few minutes, his voice hoarse and breathy. "I-I never came that hard before.." he mumbled, turning to look at Bokuto over his shoulder. Bokuto blushed and smiled gently, kissing Akaashi's lips sweetly as he slowly pulled his flaccid dick out of him. Akaashi groaned uncomfortably into the kiss but turned on his side so they could kiss at a better angle, running his hands through Bokuto's hair gently.

When they parted, Bokuto smiled and stood up to throw out the condom and get a washcloth from the bathroom. He came back and wiped Akaashi clean, who lay in a pleasant daze, blinking slowly up at his boyfriend. Bokuto tossed the washcloth aside and kissed over all the marks and bruises he'd left on Akaashi's skin. His boyfriend huffed out in silent laughter and pulled Bokuto up to kiss him lazily, their lips and tongues mingling together and moving in gentle motions. 

"Bokuto-san.." Akaashi mumbled between kisses. 

"Hmm?" Bokuto pulled back slowly, stroking Akaashi's face lovingly. 

"I uh.. I'm not going anywhere.." he blushed darkly. "N-No matter what happens.."

"Yeah.. neither am I." Bokuto smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively titled: I made myself sad so I wrote porn to make myself feel better


	16. In the Case of Shimizu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is really early!! I however know that I won't be able to update until probably March 25th. So here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy it!!

The first marriage interview was 2 days later, and was being held in a hotel. He was going to see Shimizu Kiyoko, who he'd met several years back and actually got along with. She was an elegant woman, and he had no reason to dislike her. Unfortunately, this meeting was not only with her, but with her parents, and his. Akaashi forwarded the information regarding the interview. This included what room he'd be in, the time, and the date to his friends, and wondered what everyone would come up with. There wasn't much that he thought he could do to make this interview go badly. 

Akaashi felt his heart hammer in his chest the morning of the interview as he stumbled into his bathroom. He ran the hot water in the shower and watched the steam fill the room as he peeled himself out of his pyjamas and stepped into the scalding water. He sighed, looking up at his ceiling as the hot water eased the tension in his muscles. He took his time showering, washing his body and hair slowly. 

Eventually, Akaashi's mind drifted from uncomfortable thoughts, to Bokuto. He missed him, he wanted to see him. He gulped softly, his hands rubbing over his wet body as he thought about Bokuto's big calloused hands. He looked down, spotting the bruises that littered his hips and swallowed thickly. Akaashi frowned as he felt himself get hard at the memory of how they'd been created, feeling like a silly, horny teenager again. 'No use getting frustrated about this now..' He thought as he wrapped his hand around his stiffening cock and pumped himself slowly, leaning against the shower wall.

"Hahh.. Bokuto-san.." he panted, quietly. He was thinking of his hands, of his mouth, of his cock. He groaned softly, squeezing his member and thinking about Bokuto's hot breath, and his teeth. He wanted him to mark him up some more, and he brushed his thumb over slit of his cock. He hissed, groaning as he bucked his hips into his hand, muttering Bokuto's name over and over until he came. He grimaced, feeling guilty as he looked down at his cum-slicked hand before he washed himself again. 

He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel. He dried himself off, and left the bathroom, before walking into his room. He looked himself over in the full length mirror on his bedroom door and smiled at the marks he saw scattered across his shoulders, chest and back. These were gifts from Bokuto, and he brushed his fingers lightly over the one near his collar bone. He felt a surge of confidence flow through him, and felt like he could really mess this thing up.

\--

Akaashi grabbed his gym bag on his way out of his apartment. He'd decided to skate for an hour or so before heading to the hotel, considering he was supposed to be there soon anyway. He figured that showing up fresh off the ice wouldn't exactly be the best way to win someone over, especially if he was skating when he was supposed to be at the interview. He smiled to himself, thinking that even if his friends couldn't find a way to fuck up the interview, he could do enough on his own.

Akaashi walked into the ice rink and glanced at his phone as he turned a corner, and quite literally bumped into Kuroo. Well, to be more precise, Kuroo ran into him. They both tumbled to the ground, Kuroo flopped across his legs.

Groaning as he pushed himself up, Kuroo grinned and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, Akaashi. Hey, isn't your marriage thing the other way?" He asked, blinking.

"It is.. I uh, I was going to skate for a while first-wait, why do you know that?" Akaashi asked. "You weren't there when we discussed that."

"Yeah, well Bokuto is my best friend. We tell each other everything." He smirked. "And I mean, everything." He raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Akaashi just looked at him. When he didn't get the response he wanted, he pouted. "Dude, how can you and Bo possibly work? You're so serious, and he's like a big puppy."

Akaashi shrugged. "We are different, yes." He smiled to himself. "But that's part of what I like about him."

Kuroo snorted, getting up and held his hand out to Akaashi. "Well, he talks about you like you're some kind of sexy god of ice. How you're usually so cool and calm but he likes it when you slip, and show your real feelings."

At that, Akaashi blushed, taking his hand and standing back up, brushing his pants off. "I never really thought that I could be considered calm.. I'm always on edge around him." Kuroo laughed lightly, as Akaashi hoisted his bag back onto his shoulder.

"You hide it well." He smirked. "Well, enjoy your skating. I need to go help a kitten with some party-planning." He waved as he walked off, and Akaashi blinked. He was confused by the choice of words, but didn't think anything of it.

\--

Stepping onto the ice was immediately calming for the first time since he'd started getting calls from his father, last week. He had no music with him today, and skated around the ice aimlessly for a few minutes, feeling the soothing cold send goosebumps along his spine. This was nice, he was home. He crossed his feet over one another to pick up speed and felt a familiar smile spread wide on his face.

Akaashi lets his body move of it's own accord. He pushed into a double axel, landing briefly before jumping into a triple toe loop. He lands on the outside edge, turning into a spiral motion. He drew perfect circles into the ice, turning on the outside edge of his blades, before he starts forward, his blades moving in an almost serpentine manner.

He turns, going faster as he turned into a spin. He closed his eyes as the world blurred around him, the speed of the spin excellorating. He snapped his eyes open and stopped the spin, exhaling as he speeds forward before jumping into a quad. 

He lands shakily and falls, but pushes himself up as quickly as he's down, and turns around to try again. Akaashi felt the adrenaline pump through his limbs and he rushed down the length of the ice in a running motion before he jumped into another quad, and stuck the landing, leaning forward to keep moving.

Eventually he stops, panting hard as he went to the edge of the ice and tromped over to the bench. He plopped down and took a huge gulp of the sports drink he'd bought on the way in, before he started to pull his skates off. He had sweat dripping down his neck, making him shudder lightly. He hadn't skated for the hell of it in a long while, and felt his heart hammering in his chest. He missed feeling this free.

Though that thought was contradictory, considering where he was about to go. He pulled his sneakers on before he pulled his coat back on, standing as he lifts his bag and heads out of the rink. He sipped at his sports drink and bought another one on his way to the hotel.

The hotel was fancy, he'd seen several like it in his time. There were men and women in business suits and elegant dresses scattered about, lounging on couches and making small talk as they probably waited for some kind of meeting. He looked up, seeing a crystal chandelier hanging from the lobby ceiling as he walked in. He'd stayed in similar places when he'd had to travel for competitions, so he wasn't at all intimidated by this place and just walked up the stairs and down the hallway to the proper suite. 

He knocked lightly on the door before entering. Everyone in the room looked up at him as he entered, and he noticed immediately that he was ridiculously under dressed. He fought back the smile that tried to creep it's way onto his features.

"You're late." His father said with a glare.

"Sorry, I was practicing for my competition and didn't realize what time it was." He lied, expertly. He received ominous glares from his parents as he walked in, and a blank expression from Shimizu. She looked no more happy to be there than he did, and he was secretly relieved. 

He walked into the room and set his bag down loudly as he sat next to his parents. His mother fussed over his appearance and frowned, complaining about how he could have dressed better and that he was all sweaty. His father didn't say anything to him and just frowned, disappointment evident in his features. 

Akaashi opened his drink and took a swig, looking to Shimizu and her parents. Her parents were mortified at his messy appearance. Her mother whispered to her father and Akaashi almost laughed when he heard her say, "He seems much more proper in interviews."

Akaashi gives Shimizu a look and with a twitch of her eyebrow, she gives him silent confirmation that she understood that this was on purpose. He almost saw a smile cross her lips but she coughed, and excused herself, easily concealing it.

"So." His father's voice breaks through the silence. "Let's get this underway, shall we? I'm sorry our son has waisted your time."

Akaashi bowed his head lightly, and went to reach for his phone to see if his friends had tried to contact him, when he heard a knock on the door. His father's face turned red and he turned towards the door.

"What is it?" He barked. 

"Room service." A deep voice that Akaashi didn't recognize said. "For a Miss Shimizu Kiyoko-san."

Everyone turned to Shimizu who smiled. "I haven't ordered anything." She said softly, and her father got up to open the door. 

When he opened the door, he watched as a thick, muscular man with a hard jawline, dressed like hotel staff pushed in a cart, covered in a tablecloth. When he stopped near the table in the center of the room, Akaashi's mother shrieked as two other men crawled out from under the cart. Akaashi recognized these two as Kuroo and Iwaizumi. They were also dressed as hotel staff, and Akaashi knew that this had something to do with his friends, immediately.

The square jawed man lifted the silver lid off the tray on top of the cart and there was a small radio there, and he pressed a button and a rap song started to play from the radio. Kuroo approached Akaashi's mother and started to dance like a damned stripper, Iwaizumi did the same to Shimizu and the other man did so to Shimizu's mother. Akaashi just stared wide-eyed, unsure of how to deal with this situation. 

One by one, they ripped their shirts off, sending the buttons flying across the room and making everyone blush 500 different colors of red. None of these men were unfit, all with muscular arms and toned abs, and Akaashi wasn't sure if Shimizu was enjoying herself or not. 

However, he knew his mother wasn't. She was screeching and stood on her chair trying to get away from Kuroo who grinned at her. "Come on, pretty lady~" he drawled. 

Shimizu's mother on the other hand almost fainted and Shimizu was backing herself into her chair. His father stepped in and barked insults at the three men that intruded on their meeting, and Shimizu's father looked like he felt incredibly inadequate. Eventually, the three were shoved out of the room and Akaashi just stared in complete shock. That had definitely just ruined the entire point of the interview and the women all tried to catch their breaths.

They eventually ended up calling off the meeting, after Shimizu's mother couldn't calm down. His father glared at him and said something about "don't be late next time." To which Akaashi nodded, even though he knew it was a lie.

On his way out of the hotel, he bumped into Shimizu who sighed, and looked at him. "Thanks. I'm not thinking about marriage right now, so you really saved me." She said soft enough so their parents couldn't hear.

"No problem. I'm actually dating someone already, but I couldn't get my parents to call this thing off no matter what I said." He answered, receiving a small nod from her.

"Good job on the room service bit, by the way." She said, fighting off a slight smile.

"That.. was organized by a friend. I'll pass the message along though." Akaashi nodded and said his goodbyes to her, starting his way to Oikawa's apartment, where no doubt there was a big group of people waiting for him to show up.

Once he was far enough from the hotel, he picked up his phone and called Oikawa, the phone only rang once before his friend picked up the phone.

"How was the show, Keiji-chan?" Oikawa's smug voice cooed into the phone, and Akaashi couldn't stop laughing once he'd said that. That had been executed flawlessly, and Akaashi couldn't breathe.

"I hate you so much but I'm buying drinks because I'm so proud of you, my dumb friends. What does everyone want?" Akaashi said as he calmed down enough to breathe.

He heard people talking over each other and could even hear Bokuto's voice in the background. "Everyone says beer." Oikawa said. "You're welcome, by the way. It was Suga's idea."

"Noted." He smiled. "See you guys soon." He hung up his phone and stopped at a convenience store and bought a lot of beer for however many people were involved. He had the best friends on the planet.

\--

Upon showing up at Oikawa's apartment and letting himself in, Akaashi was surprised that only Kenma had heard him come in and came to help him carry in the beer. He heard cheers and shouts from the kitchen and blinked, confusedly. Kenma sighed, looking a little bit frustrated.

"What's going on in there?" Akaashi asked, receiving a grim expression from his friend.

"It's a battle of the testosterone." Kenma explained, with a roll of his eyes. "Arm wrestling. They're on a quest to see who's strongest."

Akaashi sighed, following Kenma into the kitchen, where he saw Suga and Oikawa egging on the men around the table. Iwaizumi and Bokuto were currently engaged in what appeared to be a tough arm wrestling battle. Both men were sweating and their muscles twitched. Iwaizumi's brow was knitted and he had a deep frown on his face, while Bokuto stared him down, flashing a confident grin. 

"Come on, Iwa-chan! Kick his ass!" Oikawa cheered, bouncing on his heels as he stood beside Iwaizumi. 

"Go Daichi!!" Suga chirped, watching as the square jawed man from the interview versed Kuroo. Both Kuroo and Daichi had equal expressions of murderous intent on their faces.

"What's wrong, Sawamura? Getting tired already?" Kuroo drawled, only receiving a grunt from Daichi in response. Their hands were shaking as Kuroo and Daichi pushed against one another. 

Akaashi watched them for a moment, rolling his eyes before he turned to the counter and pulled out the beer he'd bought. The shouting and grunts continued for a while as Kenma and Akaashi put away the beverages when suddenly, there was the sound of a loud 'WHAP'. He looked back as Oikawa cheered and raised his fists triumphantly, seeming happier about the victory than Iwaizumi did. 

"Winner takes on Iwaizumi! Come on Daichi!!" Suga shouts, and Oikawa goes over to cheer for Kuroo.

When Akaashi walked over to the table, carrying an armful of beer and setting the cans down between Iwaizumi and Bokuto. Iwaizumi grinned haughtily, and Bokuto was pouting, looking down with a dejected expression. Akaashi sighed, putting his hand on his shoulder, and watching as his boyfriend looked up at him with a miserable pout. 

"Akaashi, I'm not strong enough! I understand if you'll leave me for someone stronger." Bokuto sulked. For a minute, Akaashi wasn't sure if he was being serious or not because of the ridiculousness of the subject. However, he soon realized he wasn't kidding when he saw that Bokuto looked like he was seriously about to cry.

"Why would I leave you for something like that?" He said, carefully. He slid his arms around Bokuto's neck and kissed his forehead softly. "Besides, I think you'll win if you pace yourself better next time."

Bokuto perked up and nodded quickly. "Really? You think so?"

"I know so, since no one is stronger than Bokuto-san is, to me.." Akaashi smiled slightly, watching as Bokuto's depressed expression faded away. 

"You're so cheesy, Akaashi~" he grinned up at him. Akaashi just sighed and shook his head, thinking back to what Kuroo had said before. He really was like a puppy.

Another loud smack of hand against table sounded and everyone turned to see Daichi grinning triumphantly and Suga pressing a kiss to his cheek with a grin as Kuroo sulked. 

"Bro, I lost." Kuroo said, looking at Bokuto with a solemn expression. "I can't avenge you, Bro."

"Bro, it's ok." Bokuto said, putting his hand over his heart. "You're a winner to me."

"Bro.." Kuroo sniffled, looking incredibly moved by the sentiment. Akaashi just rolled his eyes, sharing an exasperated expression with Kenma across the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bro.


	17. Love-Sick

Akaashi left his apartment in the suit his parents had given to him the day before, because they were now convinced that he didn't known how to dress himself. He wore a dark grey suit, with a crisp violet shirt and a thin, black tie. Apparently, they also thought him too incompetent to arrive on time, since when he walked out of the building, his parents were waiting for him beside their car. His father was also wearing a suit, and his mother a nice dress. When they saw him, his mother walked over and tightened his tie to the point where it was almost suffocating. His father went around and got in the car as his mother fussed over his appearance for a few minutes.

"You're going to love Shirofuku-san's daughter. She's just lovely." His mother said, her voice rising lightly when she spoke. 

"I doubt that very seriously, mother. I'm not interested in marriage." Akaashi said, watching as her eyes flicked up to meet his. 

"Marriage is important." She said sternly. "I expect you to take this one seriously. Shirofuku-san is a good friend of your father's, he's the CEO of Fukurodani Publishing. He's a very important man, and he's offering his daughter's hand in marriage. Be respectful."

"Yes, mother." Akaashi said softly as he tugged on his tie to loosen it. His mother frowned but let it be for now as they got into the car. Akaashi sat in the backseat of the car, facing his parents, and staring out the window. The ride to the Shirofuku family's estate was silent, save for one of his parents clearing their throats every so often. It was solemn, it felt like he was being sent to execution.

He reached into his pocket and fiddled with his phone charm, feeling a soft blush creep over his cheeks as he watched the scenery roll by. He felt the edges of the charm; feeling the grooves against his fingertips was soothing, relaxing, calming. He didn't want to meet this Shirofuku girl, even if he had no doubt that she'd be a pleasant person. 

He was tired of going on these pointless interviews for a marriage that wouldn't be happening. A couple of them he'd had no warning about, and hadn't been able to mess them up as much as he'd liked. This time he'd been given advanced notice, and was able to forward the information to everyone. The problem was that the interview was at Shirofuku's house. There'd be no way to sneak someone in. He didn't know how his friends would even be able to sabotage this one. He was also pretty sure that the reason they stopped telling him in advance is that they figured out that he'd been behind the ruined interviews and so he couldn't plan anything that'd ruin it. 

As the car pulled around the driveway and stopped at the front of the estate, Akaashi felt nervous. He didn't want to be here, but his body moved and pulled him out of the car, following his parents up the steps to the large house. His father knocked on the door firmly. He started feeling nauseous, his stomach was doing flips. He didn't know what to do.

It didn't help when his mother turned to him and tightened his tie again and then attempted to straighten his clothes and hair. He felt suffocated, like he was being constricted by these clothes and the pressure coming from his parents.

Shirofuku answered the door and greeted his father fondly. He'd remembered seeing him once or twice at different occasions. They joked about something Akaashi was too uninterested in to catch as he lead his family into the large house. Akaashi fiddled with the charm more, hoping for it to calm his nerves enough to relax a bit.

They were showed to a western-style parlor where he introduced his wife. Mrs. Shirofuku was a kind looking woman, she was elegant, and hospitable. She made sure that he and his family were as comfortable as possible as they sat down, offering them tea and an entire spread of snacks, such as cake, cookies, and tiny sandwiches. Akaashi avoided eating since his nerves were too messed up to even consider food, despite his parents glaring at him and telling him it was rude of him not to accept it.

Mr. Shirofuku left the room to get his daughter, leaving his parents and Mrs. Shirofuku to make small talk. Akaashi took a breath and pulled out his phone, turning the horned owl charm in his fingers before he sent a quick text to Bokuto. 

To: Bokuto-san  
11:57AM  
Will you come see me later?

It didn't take long for a message to come in and Akaashi smiled gently to himself.

From: Bokuto-san  
11:58AM  
You bet! I have practice this afternoon so I'll come by around 6! 

Akaashi felt his face get hot and he sighed, feeling a little better now as he typed back a message.

To: Bokuto-san  
12:00PM  
See you, then

He stuffed his phone into his pocket as he noticed his parents staring at him. "What?" He asked.

"Being on your phone like that is rude." His father said, narrowing his eyes at him. 

"Sorry." He muttered, even though he wasn't. He'd almost forgot that he was at an interview, and the realization that he was still here was like a kick to the gut. 

Mr. Shirofuku returned then with his daughter. "This is Yukie." He introduced, and she bowed slightly to them. Akaashi nodded back, as she saw the food and plopped down beside her mother, starting to eat a piece of cake with a pleasant hum.

"This is our son, Keiji." His father says motioning to him, and Akaashi waved awkwardly. Yukie nodded vaguely in his direction, too preoccupied with the food to really be paying much attention to him. He was glad for that though.

Suddenly his phone started to ring and he blushed embarrassedly. He pulled his phone back out and looked at his screen, seeing Suga's phone number. He was actually thankful for the call now. "I need to take this." He said, receiving a glare from his mother. He pressed the call button. "Hello, coach."

Suga chuckled into the phone. "Akaashi-kun, did you just call me coach?" 

"Yes." He said, making sure to stand and walk around so his parents couldn't hear the other line.

"How are things over there?" Suga asked.

"I'm a little stuck, I can't figure out how to execute it." He said, wording his responses vaguely. "I think I need a plan B if I'm going to be able to wow the judges."

"Do you think you can hold out for about 20 minutes? Kozume-kun and Oikawa-kun are working on something as we speak. It'll take about that long for it to get there." Suga said, with a sigh. "I'm going to go help them. Stay strong, Akaashi-kun."

"Yeah, I will." He said, nodding to himself as he hung up.

"What could your coach have wanted that was important enough to interrupt this?" His father growled out.

"I have a competition at the end of the week. I need to be ready, and these interviews have been wasting precious time I could be using to prepare." Akaashi said with a slight frown.

"Keiji, sit down now." His mother snapped. "This is your future." He rolled his eyes, walking back to where he'd been sitting.

"Yeah, it is my future. It's a shame I don't have a say in it." Akaashi said blandly as he sat down and crossed his knees. That girl, Yukie, was still eating, and it made him sick just thinking about all that food. He picked up his phone and started to play a game to distract himself from the flipping in his stomach. His mother went to take the phone from him and he moved it out of her reach.

"I'm not a child. Don't touch my things." He said, and his mother looked shocked and hurt.

"I am your mother! Put your phone away and be respectful." She fumed, her face turning red. His father had a deep set frown on his face, watching as Akaashi ignored everyone else in the room. 

His parents apologized for his outburst, but he didn't care. He was so tired of these interviews. All he wanted was to walk out of here, and not return. He missed his nephew, he hadn't seen him in over a week, which was a long time considering that he'd usually be watching him 3 days out of the week. 

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but soon enough there was a knocking on the door, but nobody got up to answer it. However a servant rushed into the room and whispered to Yukie's father, who looked completely confused. 

"There's 56 pizzas at the door?" He asked, incredulously as his servant nodded. 

"They said that you said you'd pay at the door, sir." The servant said. 

Yukie's eyes lit up. "Pizza?" She asked, setting down her tea. 

Akaashi felt like he'd be sick, and covered his mouth. Her father looked incredibly confused and excused himself to answer the door, Yukie following behind him and exiting the room. Mrs. Shirofuku stayed with Akaashi and his family, looking over at Akaashi with a worried expression.

"Is he going to be alright? He looks green." She said, getting up and feeling his forehead. 

"He's being melodramatic, he doesn't want to get married so he's trying to get out of it." His father rolled his eyes.

Mrs. Shirofuku frowned at Akaashi's father. "Akaashi-san, as much as I respect you, you need to see when your son is uncomfortable. Why would you force him into these situations?"

"You wouldn't understand." Akaashi's father said, averting his eyes.

She sighed and looped her arm through his. Akaashi looked up at Mrs. Shirofuku as she helped him to his feet. "Let's get you to a bathroom, dear." She said, sweetly as she lead him out of the parlor.

It didn't take long for Mrs. Shirofuku to get him to a bathroom and he heaved whatever he'd eaten for breakfast into the toilet. He wasn't sure how long he spent hunched over the toilet but when he stood up, he was dizzy and had to catch himself on the sink. He rinsed out his mouth as well as he could, tasting the sour taste of stomach bile in his throat. He looked at himself in the mirror, and noticed how pale he looked. He washed his entire face with hot water and sighed, turning to flush the toilet. 

Once he was outside of the bathroom, Mrs. Shirofuku gently touched his back. "You feeling ok?" 

"Not really, no.. I think I'm just going to go home." He answered. Mrs. Shirofuku nodded, and pat him on the shoulder softly.

"I'll have someone drive you home. Come on." She was so gentle, and Akaashi never remembered his parents being warm and comforting like this. He just nodded, and followed Mrs. Shirofuku to the garage, where she told one of the servants to drive him home. 

\-- 

He started to get phone calls from his parents after he got home, but he ignored them. He wasn't in the mood to deal with them, and went to the bathroom for some Tylenol. His head was pounding and he swallowed the pills with a small cup of water before he brushed his teeth. He tugged his tie loose, sending a text to Kenma with his free hand.

To: Kenma  
1:26PM  
I'm home, not feeling well so I'm going to bed.

He then trudged into his bedroom and pulled off his clothes, throwing them easily to the floor before he pulled on a pair of loose sweatpants. The marks across his body had faded and there were only light pink spots where the dark bite marks had been. He made a mental note to make sure Bokuto corrected that problem.

He sighed, picking up his cell and seeing that it was only 1:30, and climbed into bed. He burried himself in the thick blanket and sighed, feeling relaxed but lonely. He was exhausted, and cuddled into his pillow sighing softly. He had more than 4 hours before Bokuto would be there, so he figured he had plenty of time for a nap. Not even 5 minutes after the thought passed through his mind, he was asleep.

He didn't wake up until well after nightfall, to the feeling of calloused fingers moving through his hair. He sighed comfortably, pushing himself up on his elbow and blinking hazily until his vision focused on his boyfriend. He vaguely wondered how he got inside but figured that Kenma might've let him in. Bokuto had a soft grin on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said, in a voice that was surprisingly soft. "How are you feeling?" Bokuto asked. "Kenma said you weren't feeling good."

Akaashi nodded. "I wasn't, but I'm better now." He smiled lightly up at him. "I was just anxious before, I'm okay."

"How'd the um.. marriage interview go?" Bokuto asked, and Akaashi noticed a little uneasiness behind his words. 

"I got sick, so.. I left early. And I came home." He looked up at him. "If it were up to my parents, they'd have made me stay there."

"Have you been able to see Hinata-kun?" Bokuto asked softly.

Akaashi shook his head, looking down. "No."

"Maybe you should.. um.. get married." Bokuto said, pulling Akaashi's eyes back up to his face. He looked incredibly depressed, and dejected, and Akaashi sat up more.

"What are you talking about?" Akaashi asked, feeling his blood run cold. 

"If it'll allow you to see your nephew, I think you should get married." Bokuto said, and Akaashi felt like he'd break. "You said he's very special to you, so-"

"Shut up." Akaashi's voice cracked. "Don't tell me to get married! Don't you understand that I can't do that?"

Bokuto was silent for a moment before he started to speak again. "Akaashi, I just-" Akaashi pushed him onto his back and leaned over him, glaring down at him.

"I'm not going to let someone I'm in love with go just to please my family again!" Akaashi shouted, feeling tears start to fall from his eyes. "I don't want to! I can't go through that again!"

Bokuto's eyes widened and he stared up at him without saying anything for a while. "You're in love with me?" He finally asked.

Akaashi blushed, and felt his heart stop. He hadn't even realized that he was in love with Bokuto before now, and just swallowed dryly as he nodded. "I-I am." He croaked out, beginning to panic. "I-I understand if it's too soon for that- I-I mean, I know it's-"

Bokuto shut him up by kissing him softly, holding his face in both hands, and wiping his tears away with his thumbs. When he parted the kiss, he whispered. "I love you, too, Akaashi. But that's why I think you should get married.. I don't want to be what stands between you and your nephew."

"Oh just shut up for a minute." Akaashi rolled his eyes, and covered Bokuto's mouth with his hand. "You are not what's standing between me and my nephew. That's what my family wants me to think, but it's not. Understand?" Bokuto nodded and pulled Akaashi's hand away.

"I'm sorry, Akaashi.." He said with a soft smile, and Akaashi sighed in relief. 

"It's okay. But next time you tell me to go get married, I won't be as nice about telling you to fuck off." He said, sitting up and crossing his arms. "I love you, Koutarou."

"Got it." Bokuto chuckled and Akaashi blushed slightly, looking away.

"It's not a joke." He grumbled, as Bokuto sat up and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"I know~" he hummed and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, nuzzling his jaw. "I love you too, Keiji."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience, dearies!!  
> Next update is coming on Sunday morning!!
> 
>  
> 
> I can be found on tumblr: jellyfish-kuchen.tumblr.com


	18. Confrontation

Bokuto dragged himself out of bed, and stretched his arms above his head. It was about 10am and he didn't have anything to do that day, and figured it'd be good to have a lazy day for once. He yawned, standing up and headed to his bathroom to brush his teeth.

He licked his lips as he walked through his apartment, to his kitchen. Bokuto browsed his practically bare cupboards for a while before he poured himself a bowl of sugary cereal. He brought it into the living room with him to watch television, putting his feet up on the couch. He picked up the remote after shoveling a spoon of the cereal into his mouth, humming contently as he turned on the television.

He watched whatever was on for a while. He watched the heroine confess her undying love to some guy, who turned out to be a total asshole. He frowned, flipping through the channels to find something else to watch as he munched on his cereal. After finding absolutely nothing on, he pouted. How could he have nothing to watch with over a thousand channels? If Akaashi were there, they'd probably watch another one of those horror films that Akaashi liked. It'd give him a reason to hold him (or to be more precise, be held by him.)

He watched an infomercial for a while, advertising some sort of carpet cleaner with no thoughts whatsoever until he finished his breakfast and set the bowl on the table. He flopped onto his side, watching as some woman was walking with a glass of wine and was bumped into by a dog, then the glass dumps onto the carpet. The motion was so ridiculous that Bokuto laughed, but mostly because he was bored.

He heard his phone go off and jumped off the couch, running to his bedroom to fetch the phone from the bedside table. He picked up the phone and grinned widely when he saw Akaashi's name. He internally cheered as he opened the message.

From: AKAASHI  
10:48AM  
Want to come watch a movie with me?

Bokuto flopped back onto his bed and nearly hugged his phone he was so happy. He quickly typed back an answer.

To: AKAASHI  
10:49AM  
Yeah, I'll be over soon! :)

He set his phone down and ran to take a shower and get ready. He couldn't wait to see Akaashi.

\--

Akaashi had invited him over to watch a movie, but that's not what they were doing. He was on his lap and was kissing him, raking his fingers through his hair. Bokuto pulled Akaashi closer and slides his hands under his tank top. 

Akaashi parted the kiss slowly. "Touch me more.." He whispered softly, leaning in and biting Bokuto's lip. 

He groaned softly, closing his eyes. "Akaashi, you're evil, you know that?" Bokuto slid his hands into his pants and groped at his ass.

Akaashi sighed with a light moan. "Yeah, y-you've mentioned that once or twice.." He leaned forward and lightly nipped at Bokuto's ear lobe.

Bokuto panted softly and nuzzled at Akaashi's neck, pressing wet kisses to his neck and shoulder. "You're so beautiful, Keiji.." He whispered before he bit down on his collarbone, feeling Akaashi shudder against him and tug at his hair. 

He pulled him back by his hair and looked over his face with his eyes barely open. "S-Shut up, Koutarou.." He panted before leaning in and kissing him again, sliding his tongue into his mouth. Bokuto moaned, feeling Akaashi drag his nails along his scalp as he leaned closer, relishing in the slow movements of their make-out.

The sound of knocking at the door breaks them of their trance, and Akaashi pulled back. "S-Sorry Bokuto-san, just a second.." He said breathlessly, kissing his lips softly before he stood up. Bokuto pouted and watched as Akaashi walked towards the front door.

He heard the door open and a man's voice. Bokuto stood up, peeking around the corner and seeing a man who was a little taller than Akaashi. He had very little emotion in his face, and even less in his voice. It took Bokuto a moment to realize that this man was Akaashi's father. They really didn't look much alike save for the shape of their eyes.

Akaashi looked uncomfortable as he spoke to the man at the door. He was doing that thing where he played with his fingers and avoided eye contact. Bokuto frowned, wanting to intervene but he knew better. The only thing he heard from the conversation was his father speaking.

"Well? Aren't you going to let me in?" He asked, though it sounded more like an order. 

Akaashi nodded slowly, and stepped out of the way, allowing the man inside. "I wasn't expecting you today, father. I'll go make some tea." He said, sounding nervous and glancing in Bokuto's direction. As he walked, he looked behind him then rushed to Bokuto. "Please, turn off the TV." He said, his voice hushed. 

Bokuto nodded. "What should I do?"

"I-I don't know.. make something up and I'll play along." Akaashi looked behind him and frowned. "My father's coming. Hurry." He whispered, before rushing to his kitchen.

Bokuto did as he was told and quickly turned the television off. Akaashi's father walked into the kitchen as Akaashi set up the kettle and Bokuto watched from the living room. He racked his brain for an idea, not knowing what to say to this man, who was skinny, but terrifying in his own way. He shared the same cold expression that Akaashi's sister had. Eventually, he got an idea.

He walked into Akaashi's kitchen as nonchalantly as possible with his nerves on edge, feeling his heart pound hard when Akaashi's father looked at him. "Who are you?" His cold voice said, almost making Bokuto jump out of his skin. He turned to him in what he hoped was a confident gesture.

"I'm Akaashi's trainer." He said, forcing himself to stay calm. "Don't mind me, I'm just getting my drink from the fridge." He said with a wave to the man, who seemed to look him over. He opened the fridge and grabbed a sports drink.

"I didn't know you had a personal trainer, Keiji." His father said suspiciously, tapping his fingertips on the table in front of him.

"There's a lot you don't know, Father." Akaashi said, his voice low and calm. "I'm afraid you've interrupted our session this morning." 

"Well, I wouldn't have had to if you'd answer your damned phone." He said. "Anyway, in regards to your next interview-"

Akaashi sighed, pulling the water off the stove and pouring the water into a teapot. "Father, I don't want to do anymore inter-"

"It's tomorrow. You will go. Misaki Hana-san is shy, so it will just be you two." His father interrupted him and crossed his arms over his chest. Bokuto frowned to himself and drank his beverage as he tried not to speak out of turn. "I expect you to treat her kindly. I won't be there to keep you from messing it up, though. Lord knows what you'll come up with this time." He grunted, bitterly.

"Father, I'm really not interested." Akaashi said, pouring his father some tea and bringing it over in a mug.

His father took the beverage and frowned. "I don't care. If you think I'm going to let you have an influence on my grandson while you're doing God knows what with men, you've got another thing coming. I'm not going to stop until you've settled down with a good woman."

Bokuto stared at Akaashi's father and clenched his fist at his side. He couldn't understand how someone could be so cold to their own son. When it seemed like Akaashi wouldn't say anything further, Bokuto finally spoke up. "With all due respect, sir, if Akaashi isn't interested in marriage, you shouldn't force him into it. He won't be happy that way." Bokuto received a wide eyed expression from Akaashi, and a hard glare from the bitter, angry man at the table.

"With all due respect, this isn't any of your business." Akaashi's father said, coldly. 

"Father, please." Akaashi said softly. "Don't say things like that to my-" he stopped talking for a brief second, and gulped, seeming to rethink what he was about to say. "M-my trainer."

Akaashi's father immediately picked up on the situation and grimaced. "Keiji. Are you sleeping with this man? I thought I've made it clear that you need to stop this nonsense."

Bokuto hurriedly took a drink of his sports drink as Akaashi stared at his father, before shifting nervously to rub his neck. He didn't say anything, and his father's face twisted into an angry scowl.

"Are you or aren't you?" His father growled, narrowing his eyes at his son. 

Akaashi crossed his arms. It appeared that he'd had enough. Bokuto watched as he glared at his father, and leaned against the counter. "It's none of your business. Who I sleep with and who I spend my time with, it's my decision."

His father put down his mug with a loud clunk and stood up. "My grandson's well being is my business! You're not to continue this relationship if you want anything to do with him, do you understand?" 

"What about my personal life is going to affect Shouyou?!" Akaashi snapped, pushing off the counter to stand in front of his father with an expression that could probably kill a man. "I have been there for him, I'm more of a father to him than his ever was! I don't think that the fact that I'm gay is going to affect the way I take care of hi-!!" 

A loud crack echoed through the apartment, and Akaashi's head whipped to the side. Bokuto's eyes widened and he felt a deep, seething rage flow through his limbs. He clenched his fists tightly, crushing his sports drink and cursed, tossing it to the sink.

"Go to the interview and stop whatever this is. You're 24 years old, for God's sake! Stop acting like a child." His father went to raise his hand to Akaashi again, and Bokuto grabbed his wrist before he could do anything. He held his wrist in a tight grip before he shoved his hand down, watching as his father's anger redirected itself towards him.

"You need to leave." Bokuto said, stepping between Akaashi and his father, and glaring at him. "You have no right to come in here and raise a hand to Akaashi like that. He's your son, not your property."

"You're out of line." His father said, his sharp eyes boring into his own. "Keiji needs to grow up, you're getting in his way."

"No, I'm not." Bokuto said lowly, his voice but a growl. "I care for him, I love him. And I won't tell you again. Get. Out." His lips curled into a dark smile and he cracked his neck and knuckles. Akaashi's father's expression falters and he backed up, straightening his clothes before he walked out. It wasn't long before they heard the door slam.

"Bokuto-san.." Akaashi's voice trembled and Bokuto felt a soft tugging at his shirt. When he turned around, he saw the bright red hand print on Akaashi's cheek and the tears pooling in his eyes. "S-Sorry.. my father can be rude.. but I-I guess my entire family can be.." His voice cracked and the tears fell down his cheeks. 

Bokuto took Akaashi's unharmed cheek into his hand, and leaned their foreheads together. "Akaashi.. I'm sorry I didn't react sooner, I should have." He wiped the tears away gently, but Akaashi's tears didn't stop.

"Y-You're fine, y-you didn't know that he'd strike me. I'm alright.." he looked up into his eyes and a slight smile formed on his lips.

"It looked like it hurt pretty bad, though.." Bokuto said softly as he brushed gentle fingers over the inflamed skin. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Akaashi nodded, taking Bokuto's hand in his own and kissing his palm softly. "You didn't deserve that.. m-my family is cold, you shouldn't have to deal with them." He whispered.

"Neither should you." Bokuto said softly. "You've been through so much more than I have. You don't deserve it either." Bokuto said, watching as Akaashi's tears stopped. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Akaashi's softly.

Akaashi kissed back, holding onto his shirt as he parts the kiss. "Thank you, Bokuto-san.." 

Bokuto wrapped his arms around Akaashi and held him close, smiling when Akaashi leaned into him. He could smell the faint scent of mint from his shampoo in his hair and pressed a soft kiss to his hair. "Let's go watch that movie, ok?" 

Akaashi nodded into his shoulder. "Yeah..."

As they walked back to the living room, they heard the front door open and shut, followed by soft conversation as Kenma and Kuroo walked into the apartment. Bokuto recognized his best friend's drawl immediately as he teased Kenma about something that only received a quiet grunt in response. 

"I'm home." Kenma called, as he lead Kuroo into the living room by the hand. However, he froze when he saw Akaashi. He dropped Kuroo's hand and rushed over, his eyes wide in a worried expression as he took Akaashi by the shoulders and shoved Bokuto out of the way. "What happened?" He asked, looking at the tear stains on his cheeks, and the dark red hand print.

"I confronted my father... told him that I had enough of the interviews, and that he couldn't dictate my life anymore." Akaashi answered, even with the sadness in his voice, his eyes looked resolved.

"I thought we passed him on the way in but it's been a while so I thought I was imagining things.. He hit you, didn't he?" Kenma asked, his eyes locking on the hand print as his mouth turned into a bitter frown.

"He did. I couldn't stop it before it happened." Bokuto said lowly with clenched fists. Kuroo pat his shoulder and shook his head.

"Its not your fault, Bo." Kuroo said, his tone unusually serious.

"He's right, Koutarou." Kenma said softly. "If it weren't for you, he could still be here. I'm pretty sure you're the one that chased him out, right?"

Bokuto nodded a little, receiving a quiet smile from Kenma. "I wasn't going to let him hurt Akaashi anymore, if I could help it."

"Thank you." Kenma said softly, and Akaashi looked down, blushing darkly.

"You're making a big deal of it.. I'm okay." He muttered.

"You know, I think this situation calls for booze and shitty movies." Kuroo grinned. 

Kenma grimaced. "It's barely past noon, Kuroo."

"Hush, babe. Your friend's in a crisis." Kuroo smirked as Kenma's cheeks turned red. "He deserves a little down time. And down time has no curfew."

"Really, Kuroo-san.. I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need to get drunk." Akaashi sighed, raising his hands.

"That mark on your face says you do. Come on, Bo. We are going to do some 'grocery' shopping." He slung his arm around Bokuto, and practically forced him to follow him to the store. 

\--

When Bokuto and Kuroo returned to the apartment, they walked in to find Kenma and Akaashi curled together on the couch. Akaashi's face was pressed against Kenma's shoulder and their legs were entwined and their arms were curled around each other. They both appeared to be fast asleep, and the sight was enough to make Bokuto's heart swell with affection. 

"How are they allowed to be that cute? There should be laws against excessive cuteness." Kuroo complained, half-heartedly. 

"Its an unfair force of nature." Bokuto agreed, nodding as he walked over to the couch, brushing his hand over Akaashi's cheek gently. The beautiful man stirred and sat up, waking up Kenma as he did so. As Kenma sat up, he rubbed his eye and pouted, Akaashi mimicking the motions subconsciously. Kuroo and Bokuto exchanged equal expressions of 'holy shit our boyfriends are too cute for this world' before they sat on either side of the couch, wrapping their arms around their boyfriends, respectively.

"Bokuto-san.. You're back." Akaashi murmured, leaning back against Bokuto and sighing comfortably. Bokuto's cheeks darkened as Akaashi resettled on his lap and simply curled into him. Bokuto looked up and saw that Kuroo was in practically the same position as he was, only with Kenma pressing sleepy kisses to his neck. He made a mental note to ask when, exactly Kuroo and Kenma had started dating, but he was quickly torn from his thoughts when Akaashi's fingers entwined with his own. He looked down, watching as Akaashi pressed soft kisses to his knuckles. "Love you.." He whispered, tiredly.

"Yeah, you too, 'Kaashi~" Bokuto grinned, pecking Akaashi on the cheek softly. The red mark was mostly gone now, and Akaashi's flush easily overpowered it. He was so thankful that he wasn't seriously hurt, and simply cuddled him until Akaashi's lips curled into a small smile. 

Kuroo held Kenma around the waist and bent down to pick up the shopping bag he'd brought from the store with Bokuto. "I've got the booze. Kenma, get your Netflix on the tv and pick a horrible movie."

Kenma rolled his eyes, but nodded, reaching for the remote and his Xbox controller, turning on the television and using the controller to browse the Netflix options. Kuroo shoved a can of beer into Akaashi's hand and tossed one to Bokuto as well. 

"This is the best remedy for a shit day, trust me." Kuroo said with a grin.

"I'm sure." Akaashi sighed. "Thanks, Kuroo-san."

Kenma selected a movie with no stars and the four of them watched it load, one by one popping open their beers. Bokuto watched as Akaashi sipped his beer, somehow making drinking beer look elegant. His boyfriend simply curled into him, seeming more than content to just sit with Bokuto's arm around his shoulders. Across the couch, Kuroo made a comment in Kenma's ear that made Kenma lightly smack his chest with a pout. He watched the two argue under hushed breaths, only able to make out "do not" and "do too."

"So.." Bokuto sighed loudly, and not at all as discrete as he thought he was. "How long have you two been dating?" Akaashi practically choked on his beer with laughter at the obvious curiosity radiating off of his boyfriend.

"About 2 weeks now." Kuroo shrugged, and Kenma nodded along a little embarrassedly.

"Whaaaat?!" Bokuto gaped. "How the hell did you end up boyfriends before me and Akaashi?!"

"Wait, seriously?" Kuroo snickered, raising his eyebrows tauntingly. "I thought with the sex you two had that night after the game that you two were dating already."

"No!! We became official like a week ago!!" Bokuto yelled, and Akaashi sighed rubbing his temples with his fingers.

"Bokuto-san. Calm down." Akaashi spoke rationally. "It's fine."

"You're going to let them beat us?!" He exclaimed.

"It's not a competition."

Bokuto pushed out his bottom lip in an animated pout."But-" Akaashi covered his mouth and rolled his eyes.

"Just watch the movie, okay, Koutarou?" Akaashi said softly, and when he felt Bokuto's smile against his palm he pulled his hand down.

"'Kay, Keiji~" Bokuto grinned widely.

Kuroo whistled lowly and grinned devilishly. He leaned over and sang "Whiiiipped~" and Bokuto shot a dirty look to his best friend.

"Both of you stop." Kenma muttered.

"This was your idea anyway, Kuroo-san." Akaashi chimed in, taking another sip of his beer. They nodded to their boyfriends and exchanged a glance that vowed that this argument would be finished later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, dearies!! Your support has been phenomenal! I can't believe we're around 78% through this story already! As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!
> 
> Also, I'm seriously thinking about doing some spin-off stories to this fic. If you'd be interested in them, let me know in the comments, please!


	19. Competition

The stands around the ice were slowly filling up with people. They were a completely different crowd than Bokuto was used to. They weren't loud, and weren't dressed in any specific colors to cheer for anyone. He walked down to a group of seats close to the ice where Kuroo was already sitting. As he approached the seats, he saw that Akaashi's friends were there as well. Bokuto sat between Kuroo and Sawamura, Kenma was on the other side of Kuroo, tapping away at something on his phone, and Suga sat beside Sawamura. Iwaizumi was sitting behind them, arms crossed over his chest. They chatted for a while until they heard the announcer people start to talk, welcoming them to the prefectural-wide figure skating competition.

Bokuto was practically vibrating in his seat. He couldn't wait to see Akaashi skate again and was moving around so much that Kuroo flicked him in the forehead. Bokuto yelped and looked at his friend with a pout.

"Dude, calm down. There's going to be a lot of skating today, not just Akaashi and that pretty-boy Oikawa." He said, chuckling lightly. 

"That's true.. It's a long process but we're here to support them." Suga clapped his hands as he leaned forward and looked around Sawamura at him, a grin plastered on his face. "You're in for a real treat, Bokuto-kun. Akaashi-kun is really graceful on the ice."

Bokuto nodded, grinning widely. "I haven't seen him skate since the day he gave me his phone number."

"I didn't know you saw him skate before." Suga smiled lightly. "Does he even know?"

"Er.. not yet. I haven't told him yet.." Bokuto smiled sheepishly. 

"This guy wasn't even going to talk to him after he saw him skate." Kuroo teased. "He was all 'I can't do this! He's too perfect' and stuff like that." He flashed a grin, and Suga started laughing.

"Shut up, Kuroo!" Bokuto whined shoving at his friend. 

"What about you, Iwaizumi-kun?" Suga asked. "Have you seen Oikawa skate before?"

He grunted with a quick shake of his head. "No, he said something about wanting to 'shock and awe' me with his skills. Damn bastard, he's always gloating and acting like he's king, he better be good." Iwaizumi's voice was harsh as he spoke, but something about his expression was fond.

"Don't worry, that pretty boy is really talented. Better than Akaashi, even." Kuroo drawled, earning a glare from Bokuto.

"Akaashi is the best skater!" Bokuto almost yelled, receiving odd expressions from the people around them. 

"Sorry, but you're biased, Koutarou." Kenma spoke up. "We all know that when it comes to technique, Tooru is better, even Keiji knows." Bokuto crossed his arms with a pout, earning a cackle from Kuroo and Suga, and even Sawamura chuckled a bit. He was pitifully outnumbered in this case.

\--

Akaashi and Oikawa were surrounded by journalists and photographers. The flash from the cameras and the overlapping voices of the journalists drowned out almost every one of Akaashi's senses as he and Oikawa paused for a few photos. Akaashi felt surprisingly calm, but then again, competition was nothing new to him. He'd been doing them since he was 8 years old and he'd been in gymnastic competitions before even then.

Oikawa and Akaashi smiled as they excused themselves to meet with their coach. They went to the area that was sectioned off for them and their coach, and Akaashi sighed once he was out of the flashing camera lights. 

Oikawa grinned at him and walked over, draping his arm over his shoulder. "Did you invite Owl-kun to come see you?" He asked.

"I did. He's already in the stands. Look." Akaashi pulled his phone from his gym bag as they sat down, pulling up the selfie that Bokuto had texted him. He'd apparently brought Kuroo along with him who was giving him bunny ears. He was also sitting with Kenma, Suga, Daichi, and Iwaizumi, as he said in his text.

"Aw, the gang's all here." Oikawa cooed, plucking Akaashi's phone from his hand. "Let's send them a photo, Keiji-chan."

"Alright." Akaashi nodded as Oikawa took up the phone and took a selfie with him. When he saw the photo, he was surprised that he took up more than half of the picture, and looked at Oikawa with a questioning glance. 

"What? It's going to Owl-kun, right? He likes you. I'm just your beautiful friend." Oikawa grinned, with a flip of his hair.

He smiled. "Then, lets take one for Iwaizumi-san too." He said, and took his phone and sent the photo to Bokuto before putting it back into his bag. Oikawa nodded eagerly and produced his phone from his pocket to take another selfie with Akaashi while they waited for their coach.

"Oikawa, Akaashi." Their coach greeted them as he sat on the bench beside them. 

"Coach." Oikawa and Akaashi answered in unison.

Their coach chuckled, and looked over at them. "I wish I had something to say to you two, but you both have been ready for this for a while now." He crossed his arms. "I am confident you both will rank highly today, just be careful of your footing when you land, Akaashi."

"Yes, sir." Akaashi nodded, knowing that sometimes his footwork gets sloppy when he lands from complex jumps. He took a deep breath and Oikawa pat him on the back, drawing his attention to him.

"From now, until the end of the showcase, we're enemies." He said, dropping his friendly tone and giving him a harsh expression.

"Of course." Akaashi answered. This was their routine. They were friends until it was time for competition, and then they wouldn't talk until they've both been scored. Akaashi was the first one to face forward. He wanted nothing more than to actually beat Oikawa's performance this time. He'd come in second to Oikawa, and tied once before but he'd never claimed a victory over him.

The women's competition was first. Akaashi spent the majority of his time waiting, stretching his legs and making small talk with other skaters. Oikawa was more talkative, but then again, he was always flirtatious and liked to flatter people who weren't his competition. One by one, each skater did their routine, some better than others. Shimizu Kiyoko ended up placing first by the end of the women's competition.

Akaashi congratulated her as she came off the ice, and she nodded with a slight smile in his direction. He put his skates on and went out onto the ice to warm up with 3 other skaters. He did simple jumps, and he smiled to himself as he moved around the ice. He could hear Bokuto shouting over the crowd, and almost laughed, following the sound of his voice with his eyes until he spotted his trademark hair style. He was waving his arms while Suga tried to get him to calm down. He huffed out a quiet chuckle, following the other skaters off the ice as the warm-up period ended.

He waited as the first skaters did their routines, a younger man named Yahaba Shigeru was first. He was very much like Oikawa in his movements, calculated and executed flawlessly, however his flow wasn't there. It looked more like he stopped to regroup after each of his moves, almost as if he hadn't completely memorized his routine.

Second came Moniwa Kaname. Akaashi watched him skate, as he'd never competed against him before. He was shy, it seemed. His movements were less confident than any of the skaters he'd seen over the course of the competition. As the music he was skating to built up, he became more confident in his movements, but Akaashi turned away and sat down to tighten his laces and clear his head. He was next.

He waited for Moniwa to come off the ice, and as he did, his coach walks over and pat his shoulder. "Your turn, Akaashi." He said.

Akaashi stood and walked with his coach to the edge of the ice, and waited for the announcers to introduce him. He stepped onto the ice and could feel the electric air, now that it was time for him to skate. He descended down the ice as his music started to play.

\--

Bokuto watched Akaashi come onto the ice and took a sharp inhale, quieting down enough that Kuroo found it comical. He watched Akaashi, who wore a sleek black outfit trimmed with gold, as he arched his body and skated in a large spiral around the ice, slowly making his way to the center as the music started.

The routine was completely different from when Bokuto had last seen it. It was more emotional, more graceful, more powerful. He performed to an opera piece, a slow foreign voice sang as he was accompanied by a beautiful symphony, and Akaashi's movements had stunned the audience to near-silence. Bokuto leaned forward in his seat as he watched his boyfriend cut into the ice with his blades.

He leapt into the air and landed in a spin, Bokuto watched Akaashi's body lower and fold over itself as the spin accelerated, only slowing when he straightened so he was standing again and pushed forward. His arms moved with his body, and his head tipped back. Akaashi carved patterns into the ice, gaining speed before he jumped, turning in the air as the announcers overhead said something about an axel. He watched his blades hit the ice for maybe a moment before he pushed with the toe of his blades into another, smaller jump.

Nobody in the group spoke as Akaashi danced on the ice, doing specific moves as were required by the competition. Bokuto felt his heart pang in his chest, something about Akaashi's performance was heart-wrenching and emotional. He figured he knew what it was too; Akaashi was pouring the events of the past few weeks into his performance. Which is why most of the crowd was rendered speechless, he was telling his story.

He turned into a spin in which he held his foot behind his head with his hand, moving almost blindingly fast before he started forward once again, doing several more jumps and spins until the beautiful music stopped, and Akaashi slipped. The entire performance had been graceful and perfect up until this point. Akaashi pushed himself off the ice, and applause thundered through the crowd. He wiped at his eyes and covered his face in his hands, and Bokuto knew he was crying. He wanted to go to him, and he'd even stood to do so, getting stopped by Kuroo, who tugged him back to his seat. 

"He'll be fine." Kuroo said, leveling his gaze with him. He had Kenma's hand in his and Kenma was wiping his eyes. "You can see him after the competition is over." 

"Alright.." Bokuto sighed, frowning, and watching as Akaashi exited the ice and another skater waited for his queue.

\--

The competition ended with Oikawa ranked #2 in the prefecture, and Akaashi ranked #4. They were being hounded by journalists, begging for short interviews as the flash from their cameras blinded them. They answered minimal questions as they headed back to the locker room with their gym bags to change into casual clothes. 

As Oikawa changed his clothes, Akaashi noticed that his body was littered with bite marks. "Is Iwaizumi a wild animal or something?" He asked, bluntly.

Oikawa blushed slightly but grinned. "I could ask the same thing about Owl-kun. I saw those bruises on your hips and that limp in your walk about a week or so back."

Akaashi blushed. "Okay, okay. Truce." He said, sighing at Oikawa's unwavering perceptiveness. "You did well today."

"You did too. I actually cried watching you, Keiji-chan. It takes a lot to make me cry, you know." Oikawa bragged.

"No it doesn't. You cry at E.T and WALL-E on a regular basis." Akaashi chuckled, pulling his clothes on and folding up his skating costume before putting it in his bag. 

"Mean!" Oikawa whined. "They are legitimately emotional movies! I love them!"

"I know." Akaashi nodded. "You don't remember making me watch them with you at least a hundred times during high school?"

Oikawa muttered something under his breath as he pulled his clothes on as well. The two left the locker room with their bags over their shoulders and Akaashi picked up his phone, texting Bokuto and asking where he was, as Oikawa leaned on him. Oikawa had a playful grin when Akaashi looked up at him.

"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Oh, my Owl-Prince~!" Oikawa sighed dramatically, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Oh, how I wish you'd come and sweep me off my feet! Carry me away on your mighty wings~ my heart and body longs for only you!" 

Shoving Oikawa off of him, he frowned, even with the soft blush that littered his cheeks. "Are you serious right now, Oikawa?"

"Ah, but you're cute when you're flustered, Keiji-chan." He said as he walked a little ahead and bumped into a blonde photographer. "Ah, sorry." Oikawa apologized half-heartedly to the man before he looked at him and raised his brow. 

"Oikawa?" He asked, blinking at him before his gaze shifted to Akaashi, and his eyes widened. Akaashi stared at him in disbelief. He never in a million years thought he'd run into him here.

"Konoha-senpai?" Akaashi asked, blinking in surprise. "What're you doing here?"

"You don't see me since high school and that's how you greet me, Akaashi?" Konoha asked, playfully. "Not even a hello." 

"Sorry, I'm just a little surprised. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Akaashi said, looking down. He felt Konoha's eyes on him, and rubbed his neck, an uneasy feeling turned in his gut.

"Me either, but hey, the sports mag I work for wanted me to photograph the competition today." Konoha shrugged, then smiled lightly. "I think this was the best performance I've ever seen you do." Konoha said, looking down at his camera. "Your pictures are my favorite. You look good, Akaashi." He made eye contact with Akaashi who nodded, looking at him with an unamused expression. "You know, it's been 8 years, but I never really got over you."

"Senpai." Akaashi said, warningly. "Don't talk like that."

"I thought you liked that I was honest." He grinned, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

Oikawa was about to say something when Akaashi spoke up. "I did, yes. However, I'm already with someone very important to me. I've moved on, Konoha-senpai."

"Oh, I see." Konoha blushed and frowned, glancing back at Akaashi before he sighed, he looked like he was going to say something when suddenly, loud footsteps ran down the hallway, causing everyone to look up.

"AKAASHI!!" Bokuto shouted, scooping up Akaashi into a spinning hug. "Akaashi, you were so beautiful! So, so awesome! You should have won, I think!" Akaashi blushed and Bokuto pressed kisses to his cheeks before he set him down.

"You're too kind, Bokuto-san, but I really deserved my placement." He said exasperatedly, a smile tugging at his lips as he looked at him.

Bokuto shook his head, furiously. "No, seriously. You were the most beautiful skater out there!"

"You don't think you're just a little biased?" Oikawa laughed. "Even I wasn't the top skater today."

"Not biased. No one is more perfect than Akaashi!" He exclaimed, eyes shining and his million watt smile ever-present on his face. Akaashi felt an overwhelming sense of affection for the man in front of him.

"Is this your new boyfriend?" Konoha spoke up, bringing Akaashi's attention back to him. The voice shattered all of the warm emotion he'd just been feeling and made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, why?" Bokuto asked, blinking confusedly as he looked at the blonde man. He seemed not to pick up on the awkward air surrounding them. "You know Akaashi?"

"Yeah, I know him." Konoha answered, crossing his arms. "He's my ex."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for sticking with me! The support you guys have given me is so wonderful! I couldn't ask for better readers!  
> As always, I hope you enjoy this Chapter!


	20. When You're Sober

"Yeah, I know him. He's my ex." The blonde man crossed his arms in front of himself, staring at him as if he'd committed a crime. Bokuto blinked and looked down at Akaashi who he now noticed to look incredibly uncomfortable. Akaashi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before he looked at the blonde.

"Konoha-senpai, honestly. You don't have the right to show up and act jealous after 8 years." Akaashi said, his eyebrow raising slightly. "I'm sorry about what happened, but I wasn't able to stop it."

Bokuto looked back and forth between Konoha and Akaashi, blinking owlishly. "What happened?" He asked. "I don't understand. Am I missing something?"

"Akaashi's family made us break up, and made my parents relocate me to a different high school." Konoha answered, frowning.

"Konoha-chan, that was just as traumatic for Keiji-chan. You didn't see how much he hurt. And now, he's finally found someone that makes him happy. Shouldn't you be happy for him?" Oikawa said, his voice lacking it's usual mocking lilt, and a terrifyingly serious tone replaced it.

"That's easy for you to say, Oikawa." Konoha spat. "I dated, I tried. It didn't mask the fact that I'm in love with him!" He shot a dirty look in Bokuto's direction. "And seeing him with someone like this? It's absurd! I haven't been around you for more than 5 minutes and I can already see that you're nothing alike!" 

"You punk.." Oikawa grinned through his irritation and cracked his knuckles, stopping when Akaashi put his hand on his arm and shook his head, as if saying 'It's not worth it.'

"I'm not surprised that you love Akaashi too, I mean.. He's beautiful, but I'm not giving him to you." Bokuto said, narrowing his eyes at Kohoha and standing in front of Akaashi with a possessive frown on his face. Akaashi looked at him with a surprised expression, his cheeks flushing softly. "We're different, yes, but who are you to say that's bad?" He growled and grit his teeth, he could feel the instinct to fight rise in the back of his mind, and pushed it down with everything he had.

"Bokuto-san.. it's ok." Akaashi said, rationality and exasperation evident in his voice. He gently touched his arm and Bokuto could already feel himself calming down, just a little. Akaashi looked back to Konoha who also looked ready to fight, and sighed. "You need to breathe, senpai."

Konoha took a deep breath and frowned. "So, what does this mean?"

"It means, I'm staying with Bokuto-san. I don't even know what you expected to come out of this, people change over the course of 8 years." Akaashi said, stepping forward just a bit before crossing his arms and leaning his weight onto one leg. "I'm sorry, Konoha-senpai."

Konoha laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, I figured. Sorry for wasting your time, Akaashi." He said, giving Akaashi a longing look that made anger rise in the back of Bokuto's throat. He made to step forward and challenge him, only Akaashi blocked him with his arm and shot him a look that said 'enough.' Konoha walked away with his head down and his fists clenched, and Bokuto almost felt a little bad. Almost. He looked at Akaashi, who sighed, visibly relaxing. 

"Where are the other's, Owl-kun?" Oikawa asked, looking around for the remaining members of their group.

"They're outside." Bokuto said. "I told them I was going to find you guys."

"Then we should go." Akaashi said, looking at Bokuto with a slight smile. Bokuto nodded, even though the smile didn't match the expression in Akaashi's eyes. He made a mental note to talk about it when they were in private, and starts to lead them outside to where the rest of their group was. 

Once outside, they spot their group standing near the road. Kenma was comically wrapped up in so many layers of clothing that the only part of him you could still see was his eyes. Kuroo and Suga were dressed warmly as well, but more moderately, whereas Iwaizumi and Sawamura wore coats, but no scarves or gloves. 

Bokuto looked up, noticing that it was snowing  
and Akaashi slid his gloved hand into his own. He glanced back at Akaashi and watched the puffs of air that left his nose. His cheeks and nose were turning pink from the cold and snowflakes peppered his hair and eyelashes. For perhaps the millionth time, Bokuto noticed just how incredibly beautiful he was. 

Akaashi peeked over at him and smiled lightly. "What's wrong? You're quiet." He said, observantly.

"Nothing. You're just.. so pretty." Bokuto said with a bashful grin, watching as Akaashi's face almost immediately turned a dark red. Before Akaashi could respond they were both interrupted by Oikawa.

"Ya-ho~ Iwa-chan~!" He waved excitedly before he took off on a run and practically tackled Iwaizumi. It was a good thing Iwaizumi was strong, if he'd been the size of Suga, he'd have surely been knocked to the ground. Iwaizumi huffed in annoyance, but his cheeks darkened against his will. 

"You're lucky it isn't icy, Trashikawa. You could've slipped." Iwaizumi grumbled as Akaashi and Bokuto approached the group. 

"It's sweet that you care about me, Iwa-chan~ but you forget. When it comes to ice, I'm a professional." He cooed, flashing a grin at the shorter man who shoved him back with a grunt. Oikawa simply laughed and pressed a smooch to Iwaizumi's cheek. "What'd you think of my skating?" He asked, calming down and looking Iwaizumi in the eye. 

Iwaizumi stared blankly at him for a moment, then he smiled slightly at him. "You were amazing." Oikawa looked on the verge of tears for a moment before he flashed a bright smile, that seemed to catch Iwaizumi off-guard.

"Aww~ It's like we're watching a rom-com." Kuroo drawled. "Break it up so we don't have to watch you make out." 

"Shut up, Tetsu-chan." Oikawa grumbled with an animated pout in Kuroo's direction. "You'd probably pop a boner watching us anyway."

Kuroo shrugged, with a smirk. "Who knows? Maybe I would." Kenma smacked him in the arm, and Kuroo backed down.

"Looks like someone's whipped." Oikawa sneered, only to receive a quick roll of the eyes from Kuroo.

"Anyway." Sawamura broke into the conversation before any more cheeky remarks could be added. "Suga and I are treating everyone to a nice meal, to congratulate Oikawa and Akaashi on getting in the top 5 in the prefecture."

"Are you sure?" Akaashi asked, drawing everyone's eyes towards him. 

"Yes." Suga said firmly, flicking Akaashi lightly in the forehead. "You deserve it. Enjoy yourself." He grinned widely.

"Yeah, you were awesome!" Bokuto added, loudly. He was so proud of Akaashi, and grinned at him, hearing the quiet snickers from the group around them and watching as Akaashi burried his face in his scarf.

"Let's go then, I'm freezing." Kenma spoke up, his voice muffled by his own scarf.

\--

Bokuto had too much to drink at dinner, and slung himself over Kuroo's shoulders. "Say, Kuroo.. did you notice?" He slurred. "I figured out why 'Kaashi's ass is sooooo perfect."

"You mean the bubble butt thing?" Kuroo asked, grinning. "It must be a figure skater thing, Oikawa has that type of butt too." He made a grabbing motion with his hands, and laughed drunkenly. 

"I knooow." Bokuto flashed a grin in Akaashi's direction before turning back to Kuroo. "You and Sawamura should ask your boyfriends to take up skating.."

"Dude, how dare you? Kenma's ass is perfect." Kuroo said defensively, but he ended up cracking up because 'perfect sounds like purrfect, bro!'

Suga giggled, sipping at his cup of sake. "I don't need to skate to have a great ass." He cooed, glancing at Daichi who's face turned red. "I do a lot of deep knee squats."

"Sugaaaa.." He groaned, leaning his head on the table in anguish, to which Bokuto and Kuroo just laughed loudly, both clutching their stomachs as tears form in their eyes. 

Akaashi sighed outwardly, having been the only one who'd not partaken in any drinking that night. Oikawa and Iwaizumi had excused themselves to the restroom a while ago and hadn't returned, Kenma had fallen asleep, curled in the corner section of the booth, while Kuroo and Bokuto went back and forth with slurred arguments that didn't make much sense.

Akaashi didn't wait much longer before he came to the conclusion that he should take Bokuto home. He stood up and pulled Bokuto off of Kuroo. 

"I'm going to take him home, I'm afraid if he drinks any more he won't be able to stand at all." Akaashi said, and even as he said that, Bokuto swayed on his feet. He wraps his arm around Akaashi and leaned on him with a giggle.

"You're so responsible, 'Kaashi~" Bokuto grinned, leaning in and breathing hotly into Akaashi's face. "I'm so lucky to have you." 

"You reek of alcohol, Bokuto-san." Akaashi huffed.

"Take care of him, Akaashi-kun." Suga smiled lightly and waved.

Akaashi nodded and lead Bokuto out of the restaurant, having called a taxi already. He ushered his heavy boyfriend into the backseat of the cab. He told the taxi where to drive them as he clamored into the cab and into the awaiting arms of a drunk and emotional Bokuto Koutarou.

"'Kaashi.. You're so good to me.." He whined, leaning his face into his neck, and nuzzling his jaw. Akaashi blushed but didn't say much as he did his best to keep Bokuto's hands to himself. His boyfriend made a disgruntled sound in his throat and complained every time his hands were redirected.

The cab stopped in front of Bokuto's apartment building. He then got out of the car and helped a swaying Bokuto out of the cab after he paid for the trip and started to help him up the stairs. Akaashi groaned lightly at the weight of Bokuto leaning heavily against him. 

"Keiji.. Keiji.. are you mad at me?" He asked, his voice soft as Akaashi stopped in front of his door.

"Why would I be mad, Bokuto-san?" Akaashi asked, feeling his cheeks flush softly at the use of his given name. 

"You've been pushing me away.." Bokuto said, sniffling as Akaashi searched for Bokuto's keys in his pockets.

"It's called being considerate, Bokuto-san. I don't think the cab driver would have appreciated watching you touch me like that." Akaashi said as he pulled Bokuto's keys from the front pocket of his jeans and turned to the door.

"You're always so smart.. I didn't even think about that." Bokuto cooed, wrapping his arms around Akaashi's waist. "I love how smart you are.." He breathed hotly against his neck. Akaashi stiffened, his hands shaking lightly as he fumbled for the house key. Bokuto slid one hand back and grabbed at Akaashi's ass. "Smart and beautiful.. with a great ass. Like.. whoa.." He pressed a wet kiss to his neck as Akaashi finally managed to open the apartment door.

"Come on, Bokuto-san, l-let's go inside." Akaashi said, feeling heat blossom in his cheeks. He leads Bokuto inside and manages to toe off his shoes with Bokuto leaning heavily on his back. "You need to get ready for bed. You're going to have a hangover in the morning since you drank so much.." Akaashi gently pulled away and Bokuto leaned on the wall.

"Its your fault." Bokuto pouted. Akaashi shut the door behind him and locked it. "You're hiding stuff from me.. I-I want you to tell me what's wrong."

Akaashi's eyes widened and he looked at his boyfriend, surprised. "Is that why you drank so much?" He walked over and stroked his cheeks, looking into Bokuto's wide, amber eyes.

He nodded, looking like he'd cry. "You don't tell me when you're sad.. I don't want you to feel like you need to hide things from me.." Bokuto slurred and wiped his eye harshly with the ball of his palm.

Akaashi smiled softly and nodded. "Then, we can start once you're sober." 

"No, I want to start now." Bokuto insisted before he shuffled to kick off his shoes, swaying on his feet. Akaashi took his arm to steady him.

"Wait, Bokuto-san, let me help you. You might fall over." He said gently, taking Bokuto's coat off of him. The drunk man stood above him and watched him intently, Akaashi couldn't help but blush under his gaze. "Let's get you to bed."

"Okay." Bokuto nodded slowly, allowing Akaashi to lead him to his bedroom. 

Akaashi helped Bokuto undress before he left to get him a full glass of water. However, when he returned, Bokuto had already passed out, unceremoniously sprawled across the bed. He smiled amusedly and set the glass on the bedside table, before he tugged up the blanket on his sleeping boyfriend. Akaashi stroked his hair and kissed Bokuto's temple, then he left to the kitchen to set up a pot of coffee for morning.

Upon returning to the bedroom, he found that Bokuto was snoring. He couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips as he pulled off his own clothes and opened up Bokuto's dresser in search of something comfortable to wear. Akaashi pulled out one of Bokuto's large t-shirts, and held it up before he pulled it on. The familiar scent of Bokuto and warm cinnamon filled his nose. He then picked up the discarded clothes around the room before he went to lay beside Bokuto. It wasn't long after he'd settled into bed that he felt Bokuto's arms wrap around him and hug him to his chest. Akaashi smiled to himself and snuggled back into his boyfriend's warmth. 

\--

Bokuto awoke to the smell of coffee, and sounds coming from the kitchen. He sat up and groaned, rubbing his temples. He couldn't remember how he got home, or much of anything from last night. He remembered going to eat with everyone, but that was about it. He swung his legs off the bed then looked to his bedside table, seeing some aspirin and a glass of water left there. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He took the aspirin and downed the water before he pulled on a pair of sweats and left the bedroom. 

Upon entering the kitchen, he saw Akaashi at the stove, cooking. He stops when he notices that he's wearing no pants and one of his own shirts, and blushes darkly. The shirt hung loosely from his shoulders and reached as low as his upper thighs. His legs were shapely and muscular, and oh, so tempting. 'God is testing me..' He thought, running a hand through his hair and taking a starting breath. He walked up to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee before going to his fridge for the creamer. He fixed his coffee as Akaashi looked over at him.

"How's your head, Bokuto-san?" He asked, turning back to the eggs and breakfast sausage he was frying up. 

"Not bad.. thank you, Akaashi." He smiled at him.

"For what?" Akaashi blinked at him, before moving the food onto plates.

"Taking care of me last night. And making breakfast." He grinned, taking a swig of his coffee and watching as Akaashi moved to the table. 

"I only did what you'd do for me. Don't worry." Akaashi's voice said calmly, as he sat at the table. 

Bokuto sat beside him, and grinned. "Thanks for the food." He took a bite of the egg and made a pleasured moan. 

His boyfriend smiled lightly behind his hand as he started to eat. "Do you remember what you told me last night?"

"Please tell me I didn't do anything stupid." Bokuto groaned, about to hide his face in his hands.

"No, no.. nothing stupid. You just told me that you want to know when I get upset." Akaashi said softly. "And it was because of me, not being honest about my feelings, that you got upset and drank too much. I'm sorry I made you worry.." 

Bokuto looked up at him, then blushed. "Sorry, I um.. I must have been pretty pushy." He continued eating a bit. "I just was upset because of that guy, I think." Akaashi didn't answer right away and looked down at his food.

They finished up their breakfast in an almost awkward silence and Akaashi started to clean up. He was washing dishes when Bokuto walked up behind him to wrap his arms around him. He leaned his head on his shoulder and smiled, leaning in and kissing his cheek.

"Bokuto-san.." Akaashi said, looking at him with a frustrated expression. "I'm sorry about Konoha-senpai. I didn't want to see him, I didn't want you to meet him. It was just really weird, you know? Seeing my ex boyfriend after so long." He said, his mouth twisting into a frown. "I just don't want you thinking that I want him. I only want you, Koutarou."

Bokuto blushed and smiled, nuzzling into Akaashi's neck. "I love you too, Keiji. I'm not worried about you leaving me." Akaashi turned off the water and turned around to face him. Bokuto leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend's plush lips.

It wasn't a moment after their kiss parted that Akaashi's phone rang from the front hallway. He pulled away and walked to the front hall to grab his phone from his coat pocket, Bokuto watching from the kitchen as he answered the phone.

"Hello?" He said into the phone. Suddenly Akaashi's face paled and his eyes widened considerably. "What do you mean, he's gone? How can he be gone?!" Bokuto watched as Akaashi's expression turned panicked, even if his voice was surprisingly calm. "He couldn't have gone far, Neechan. I'm going to go look for him, ok?"

Akaashi hung up the phone. "What happened?" Bokuto asked, confused and worried.

"Shouyou ran away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting into the final chapters of this fic and I'm so thankful for all of support this fic gets! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next ones!
> 
> Also! A shout out to user KimpatsuNoHoseki for giving me the idea for the bubble butt conversation!


	21. Shouyou

Akaashi rushed to the bedroom. "I need to go look for him!" He said, louder than usual, and surprising his boyfriend. He was scared. Shouyou was alone, and it was freezing out. He had no idea how long he'd been outside, or if he was dressed properly. He ran his hands through his hair as he picked up his jeans from the day before and pulled them on.

"I'll help you." Bokuto stepped into the room, pulling on a shirt. "Its better if we have more people covering more area." 

Akaashi nodded, his heart pounding so hard that he felt like he'd have a heart attack. He took a deep breath. "I'll get Suga, Oikawa and Kenma to look too." He said with a nod. "Shouyou knows them so he won't run from them." 

"Good idea." Bokuto answered, surprising Akaashi by how serious his voice was. He looked up and saw Bokuto was putting a beanie on over his bed hair. 

"Thank you." Akaashi sighed. "I really appreciate this."

"He's family. I can't just sit back and not help." Bokuto said with a smile at Akaashi. "Let's go. We have to find Hinata." Akaashi was almost overcome with emotion and nodded. He thanked him again before they both went to get their shoes and coats.

\--

Bokuto walked down the street towards Akaashi's apartment. He and Akaashi had split up to search for Hinata; Akaashi went in the direction of his school. The worry he felt for this small boy was overwhelming, and it intensified every time the cold wind bit him in the face. Hinata was so small, the wind could probably pick him up and carry him away. 

"HINATA!!" He called, stopping to look in between buildings and behind cars. He rubbed his hands together and went into every store, every restaurant, every public venue he could think of. There was no sign of him. He pulled off his beanie and ran his hands through his hair exasperatedly, checking his phone for a message from Akaashi. None.

He eventually changed from calling "Hinata" to calling "Shouyou." He hoped that it'd get his attention better. He was halfway to Akaashi's apartment when he ran into Kenma.

"Any luck finding him, Koutarou?" Kenma asked. He looked exhausted but wide awake at the same time.

"Not yet." Bokuto answered. "I'm heading towards the apartment to check again."

Kenma nodded. "I'll check the park." He started on his way again, moving past Bokuto and calling "Shouyou!" in a voice louder than Bokuto had ever heard him speak. Bokuto went back to his search as well, in quiet resolve. He needed to find him.

\--

"Shouyou!" Akaashi shouted, hearing his voice echo in the streets as he got to the kindergarten. It was eerily quiet on a Sunday, a thin layer of snow covering the grass and the playground. Akaashi looked frantically for small footprints before he turned around, deciding to search this entire area when he spotted Suga.

"Akaashi-kun!" Suga ran up to him. "Any luck yet?"

Akaashi shook his head. "He hasn't been at the school yet."

"I'll search the neighborhood, you head towards Suzume's house and search that way." Suga said, his mouth curling into a nervous smile. "Oikawa is checking the shopping district."

"Kenma is checking the park and around the ice rink, Bokuto-san is looking around my place." Akaashi said before turning to jog off. "Thanks Suga!"

He looked behind displays in front of stores, in small cafés, around buildings along the entire way to Suzume's house. As each passing second went by, he grew more and more worried about his nephew. He called for Shouyou, looking for any signs of him being around here. A footprint, orange hair, a tiny mitten. Something. Anything.

He felt his panic rise in his chest as his phone began to ring just as he entered Suzume's street. He answered the phone without seeing who it was. "Hello?!" Akaashi shouted, barely recognizing his own voice. 

"I found him!" Kenma's voice said. "He was in the park, hiding under the slide. I'm taking him to our apartment to get him warmed up." 

"Oh thank God," Akaashi said, his voice shaking. "Is he okay?"

"He said he's cold, but other than that, yeah. He ran right up to me, asking where you were." Kenma said, his voice calm with relief. "Let everyone know."

"Will do, thank you so much, Kenma." Akaashi sighed, hanging up the phone. He called his sister next. 

The phone barely rang at all. "Keiji?!" Her usually quiet voice was stressed, panicked. 

"We've found him. We're taking him to my place to warm him up." Akaashi said, feeling his chest finally relax a bit. 

"Thank God.." His sister's voice trembled. "Thank you so much, I-I don't know what I'd do if we didn't find him."

"Yeah.. me neither." Akaashi wiped relieved tears from his eyes. "I'll see you soon, Suzume-neechan." 

"Yeah.. I'm sorry, Keiji." She said softly before she hung up the phone. It took a moment before Akaashi sent a text out to Bokuto, Oikawa and Suga.

To: Group  
1:27PM  
Kenma found Shouyou. We're taking him to my apartment to warm him up.

Akaashi sent the message before he turned to practically run home. He needed to see his nephew. He felt like it'd been months, when in reality it was only a few weeks. His nephew was safe. He was okay. He was home. He didn't think he'd be allowed to see Shouyou again, and wanted to make sure he saw him before Suzume came to pick him up. He needed to. 

\-- 

When Bokuto got the message that Shouyou had been found, he sighed in relief, and decided to wait for Kenma and Shouyou outside of Akaashi's building. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest and like he could actually breathe again. He never thought he'd have the amount of emotions he had for Shouyou for any child that wasn't his own. It was strange how things worked out that way.

He looked up, hearing Shouyou's chatter and saw Kenma holding the small boy's hand. Bokuto ran up to them and scooped Shouyou up in his arms. Shouyou giggled loudly and hugged Bokuto tightly around the neck. 

"Bokuto-ojichan!!" He laughed, and Bokuto froze.

"W-What? Shouyou, what did you just say?" Bokuto asked, pulling back surprised to look Shouyou in the eye. Kenma smiled slightly and Bokuto caught it from the corner of his eye.

"Bokuto-ojichan?" Shouyou blinked, not sure what he did wrong. "You and Keiji-ojichan love each other, right? That means you're also my ojichan." 

Bokuto felt a wide smile bloom on his face and he nodded. "That's right." He laughed, thinking that the way Shouyou saw it was so simple. It was exactly how it should be. 

"I'm sorry!" Shouyou said suddenly. "I-I didn't mean to make you sad!"

Bokuto blinked and touched his own face, feeling the warm wet of tears. "I'm not sad, Shouyou. I sometimes cry when I'm happy." He smiled warmly, taking the boy into a tight hug and not letting him go for a solid minute before putting him down. He nodded up at him, as if he wasn't sure about the prospect of 'happy tears.' 

"Let's get inside." Kenma said, starting his way inside the building. Shouyou tugged Bokuto along by his hand, following Kenma up the stairs. His tiny hand was so cold, and Bokuto couldn't believe how glad he was that he was safe. He was home.

Following Kenma into the apartment, Bokuto helped Shouyou out of his shoes and frowned when he realized that his socks were wet. "Does Akaashi keep any of your clothes here?" He asked, receiving a nod from Shouyou.

"His bottom left drawer is dedicated to Shouyou's clothes." Kenma said. "Come on, let's get you into something warmer, okay?"

"'Kay!" Shouyou said, following Kenma down the hallway to Akaashi's bedroom. Bokuto smiled, getting up and deciding to make some of the hot chocolate he'd stashed here for Shouyou as he walked into the kitchen.

\--

Akaashi got home and ran into his apartment without kicking off his shoes. He could hear Shouyou's chatter coming from the living room, and ran in, seeing Bokuto watching a movie with Shouyou on his lap. Shouyou had a cup of hot cocoa in his small hands, and was sipping at it while Bokuto idly played with a curl on Shouyou's head. A quick glance to the television almost made Akaashi laugh. They were watching 'Guardians of Gáhoole' and Bokuto was far more invested into the movie than Shouyou was. 

Shouyou looked up and smiled brightly at him, putting down his cup on the coffee table before he scrambled off the couch. He ran over and jumped into Akaashi's arms, hugging him tightly and nuzzling him.

"I-I missed you so much, Keiji-ojichan!" He cried, and Akaashi held him in a tight hug. He rocked his nephew in his hold and felt tears prick at his eyes. The two just held onto each other, with Akaashi pressing kisses to Shouyou's unruly hair as he rocked them back and forth.

"I-I missed you too, Shouyou.." He said softly. "Thank goodness you're alright. Everyone was so worried about you." He pulled back to look at his nephew. "You can't run off like that. Your mother was worried sick, so was Bokuto-san, Kenma, Suga-sensei, and Tooru."

"I know.. I'm sorry.. I was mad." Hinata said softly. "No matter what I did, mommy wouldn't let me come see you. She said you were doing bad things with Bokuto-ojichan, but I don't think kissing is that bad.."

"I'm sorry, Shouyou.. wait.. Bokuto-ojichan?" He asked. "You mean Bokuto-san?"

Shouyou nodded. "You love him, right? Mommy said you kiss him, so that means you love him. I saw movies that people were like.. 'I love you!' And then-whoosh!! They kiss, so that means kissing means love. That makes him my ojichan too." His nephew explained, using wild hand motions as he grinned, and Akaashi couldn't hold back the tears that started to fall from his eyes. "Are you happy crying or sad crying?" He asked, worriedly.

"H-Happy, Shouyou.. I'm happy." Akaashi hugged his nephew tightly, making eye contact with Bokuto on the couch. His boyfriend smiled warmly, and Akaashi loosened his hug, just a little. He put Shouyou down and ruffled his hair. "I-I need to go take my shoes off.. go watch your movie, ok?" Shouyou nodded before he scrambled back to the couch and curled up to Bokuto's side. Akaashi went back to the hallway, taking his shoes off as Suga and Oikawa walked in. 

Akaashi pulled off his coat, smiling at his friends with tears in his eyes. "He's okay." He smiled. "He's watching a movie with Bokuto."

"That's good." Suga smiled brightly, and Oikawa nodded. 

"I'm going to go watch the movie with Shou-chan. You're not the only one who missed your darling nephew." Oikawa grinned, waving as he went to the living room. It wasn't long before a loud, squealing laughter erupted from their direction. When Suga and Akaashi looked, they saw that Bokuto and Oikawa were tickling Shouyou, who was kicking and squirming.

Akaashi chuckled and went into the kitchen, Suga following behind him. Kenma was sitting at the table, pursing his lips as he glared at his laptop. "I made tea, if you want any." He said, tapping away at the keyboard. 

"Thanks, Kenma." Akaashi smiled lightly, getting mugs out for Suga and himself before he poured tea into them. He handed Suga a mug, as he heard a knocking at his front door. "Great.. I was hoping for a little more time before Suzume came." He sighed.

"Things will be fine. Hinata-kun was acting up in class, so I can only imagine how he was acting at home." Suga smiled reassuringly. "Go on."

"Thanks," Akaashi took his mug and went to answer the door. The door opened and there he saw his sister, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "Come in, Neechan."

Suzume nodded slowly, stepping inside. "Where's Shouyou?"

"He's watching a movie," he said with a shrug. "With Bokuto-san and Oikawa." She nodded again, taking her shoes and coat off. "Would you like some tea?" 

"Yes, thank you, Keiji." Suzume said, her voice cracking lightly as she followed Akaashi into the kitchen. Akaashi watched as she looked in at Shouyou and the other two men who'd settled down in favor of watching the movie.

He poured his sister a mug of tea before he sat at the table with Suga and Kenma. Suzume sat down beside them, cupping her mug in her hands. She just stared at her tea for a while as Akaashi exchanged glances with his friends. 

"Shouyou hasn't stopped begging to see you. He misses you, and your friends." Suzume said softly, her eyes locked on her tea. "He started acting up, I know he's angry with me. Then he ran away this morning.."

"That sometimes happens when extreme change occurs in children's lives." Suga spoke up. "It's mostly when parents divorce, but Hinata-kun is really attached to your brother."

"Yeah, I can't blame him." Suzume sighed. "I'm really sorry. I just.. I don't want.." She looked incredibly confused and upset. 

Akaashi sighed. "You don't want me to mess up Shouyou because I'm gay." He crossed his arms. "Has it ever occurred to you that I've been gay the entire time that I've been alive? That me liking men is not going to affect him at all?"

"Keiji, listen. I know that I've been insufferable." She took a sip of her tea, and relaxed a little. "I want what's best for Shouyou, that's all."

"And what do you think that is?" Akaashi asked, drinking his tea without looking at her. 

"I don't know.. I guess I just- will you watch him again? I know I have no right to ask you for any favors, but he needs you. He loves you." Suzume looked at him as he shared a glance with the other two men at the table. 

"I love him, too. We all do." Akaashi said, raising his eyebrow as he looked back at her. "Even Bokuto-san considers him family."

Suzume laughed a little. "I didn't tell him the reason he couldn't see you right away. He begged, but I didn't tell him anything. Eventually he came to me and told me that he was tired of staying with our neighbor, Kumiko-san and wanted you again. And when I explained why he couldn't see you, he didn't see anything wrong with it and called me stupid.. it looks like I can stand to learn a few things from him."

"I'll watch him again, but I have some conditions." Akaashi said, smiling lightly. 

Suzume looked a little wary, but after a moment she nodded. "What are they?"

"You need to apologize to Bokuto-san, and you need to be more respectful of my schedule. You need to let me know if you want me to watch him beforehand." 

Suzume blinked. "Apologize? I didn't do-"

"You were rude to him last time you saw him. You need to apologize to him properly." Akaashi said, crossing his arms with an eyebrow raised. "You also caused a lot of trouble for us."

"Alright, fine." She said, taking a drink of her tea. "That's reasonable." Akaashi nodded, and stood up, heading towards the living room.

\--

Bokuto looked up when Akaashi came into the room and motioned for him to come to him. He stood up and walked over to where Akaashi was, looking over at Shouyou and Oikawa who were chatting quietly about the movie.

Akaashi looked at him. "Suzume-neechan is here. She wants to talk to you." He said lowly. The statement surprised Bokuto and he nodded nervously, but Akaashi for once didn't look uncomfortable about this. 

"Alright." Bokuto grinned, following Akaashi as he walked back to the kitchen where a woman that was obviously Akaashi's sister sat. She looked up at him, and swallowed thickly. 

"Bokuto-san, right?" She asked, standing up. He noticed that she'd been crying, not that he can blame her. Her son did run away.

"That's me," he said, smiling softly. "Neechan?"

"I um.. I'm sorry I was rude to you, and I started so much drama.. I have no doubt that I caused you and Keiji a lot of problems." Suzume looked up at him. "I won't ask you to forgive my attitude. It was unacceptable, I know that." 

Bokuto blinked, surprised at this development. He looked at Akaashi who nodded with a gentle smile. "I appreciate it, Neechan." He grinned widely at her. 

"A-And.. take care of my brother." She mumbled, looking down. Suzume rubbed her neck. 

"Will do, Neechan." Bokuto laughed. "Let's start over, 'kay?" He grinned. 

"Ah.. y-yeah." She said softly, looking at him with with raised eyebrows. 

"Shouyou is a good kid." Bokuto said, watching as she nodded slowly. She still looked uncomfortable, and Bokuto didn't know what else to say to her.

"That's enough, Bokuto-san. Baby steps." Akaashi spoke up, drawing his attention with a light touch to his back.

"Sorry, Akaashi." He grinned, scratching the back of his head. He couldn't stop smiling even as Suzume walked past him to go talk to Shouyou. Akaashi smiled warmly up at him, taking his hand into his. Maybe things were finally looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! The next two chapters will be a two-part finale! I hope you enjoy the next chapters and I love all the support you've given me throughout the course of this story!


	22. Korea

Akaashi just got off the phone with his coach, and sighed. He'd just barely gotten into the top 10 of the last competition he'd competed in. He'd also found out that he was going to Seoul, South Korea for the next round of the competition. He would be going with Oikawa, but he was also a little concerned about going. He knew that during the time he'd be away, Bokuto had a game. 

Taking a deep breath, Akaashi called his sister. He listened to the phone ring for a while until she answered, sounding busy. "What is it, Keiji?" She asked, there was bustling noise around her and Akaashi quickly figured out she was at the restaurant.

"I won't be available to watch Shouyou next weekend, I have a competition in Korea." He said, listening to her sigh.

"Alright, I'll make other arrangements. Thank you for letting me know." She said, seeming to think things over for a moment. "Good luck." 

"Thank you." He smiled. "I'll let you get back to work."

"Bye." Suzume said as she hung up. Things were still awkward, even after a month of having Suzume and Shouyou back in his life. Their life wasn't perfect, but it was getting back this sense of normalcy that Akaashi was more than happy to have. 

He sent a quick text to Bokuto, asking if he'd like to go out for dinner tonight. It didn't take long before Akaashi received an ecstatic reply from Bokuto. The reply was so sweet, that Akaashi felt himself blush. 

From: Bokuto-san  
12:38PM  
Yeah! I'd love to go on a date with you! ;)

Akaashi typed back a message, smiling to himself as he heard the apartment door open. He typed back a message, hearing shuffling about, but not thinking much of it.

To: Bokuto-san  
12:40PM  
Dress nicely. We're going somewhere relatively fancy.

The sound of a thump drew Akaashi's attention and he stood up, walking into the hall. He froze when he saw that Kuroo had Kenma pressed to a wall and Kenma's legs were wrapped tightly around Kuroo's hips. They were kissing feverishly, Kenma's hands holding onto Kuroo's messy hair, and Kuroo groping at any part of Kenma's body he could reach. Akaashi blushed embarrassedly, and backed into the living room.

He waited them out, listening to Kuroo make some sort of snarky comment before he carried Kenma to his bedroom. Akaashi let out a breath as heard Kenma's door slam shut. He ran his hands through his hair before he got up and decided to leave to save himself from hearing his roommate get laid.

He wrapped a scarf around his face and called Oikawa, listening to the phone ring. It rang for a while before Oikawa picked up his phone.

"Keiji-chan~ You excited about going to Korea?" He asked.

"Yeah. What're you doing right now?" He asked. "Kenma is um.. using the apartment."

Oikawa started laughing. "So I was right about Tetsu-chan and Kenma-chan?" 

"Yeah. Can I come over? I don't want to hear them doing that." Oikawa laughed at Akaashi's discomfort, and Akaashi frowned.

"Yeah, no problem. Please bring me a mocha latte." Oikawa sang, and Akaashi just sighed loudly.

"Alright, fine. Thanks." He said. 

"No, thank you, Keiji-chan~" Oikawa said before he hung up the phone. 

\--

Oikawa was lounging on the couch when Akaashi let himself into his apartment. He walked in after kicking his shoes off and leaned over the couch, handing him his latte. "Here you go." He said, looking over his friend who was wearing pink pajama pants with alien space ships printed on them and a big t-shirt with Darth Vader on it. "Nice pajamas." He smirked.

"Yeah, I know right?" Oikawa smirked back. "I'm getting ready to watch a random movie on Netflix. Care to join me?"

"Sounds good." Akaashi shrugged as he sat beside his friend. Oikawa leaned on his shoulder as he searched through the archive for a movie that neither of them had ever heard of. 

He sipped at his latte, humming contently. "You know just how I like it, Keiji-chan." He grinned at his friend.

"We've been friends forever. Of course I know how you take your latte." Akaashi sighed, lounging back on the couch.

"What's wrong?" Oikawa asked. 

"I'm not sure how Bokuto-san will react to me going to Korea for competition. He likes going to my competitions, but he has a game that weekend." He sighed. "He's going to Kyoto."

"Aww, you're worried about not having your good luck charm?" Oikawa asked, his voice a mocking whine.

Akaashi rolled his eyes. "No. It's just.. He likes to watch me skate.. and I like having him there after my competitions."

"It'll be okay, Keiji-chan." Oikawa sighed. "You're both big boys. What did he say when you told him?"

"I haven't yet. I'm going to tonight over dinner." He answered, smiling to himself. "I'm taking him to that place Suga recommended."

"Oh, nice. Somehow, I can't imagine Owl-kun in that type of scene." Oikawa smirked. "It should be a real novelty."

\--

Bokuto walked, following the directions to the restaurant that Akaashi has specified in his text message. It wasn't too cold tonight and he turned the corner, seeing Akaashi standing in front of said restaurant. He was beautiful, his skin glowing under florescent lights of the sign that read 'Blue Crow.'

"Akaashi~" he called as he approached him, smiling brightly when Akaashi looked at him. It took Akaashi a moment to say anything as he simply blinked up at him.

"Bokuto-san.. your hair." He said with a smile. "It looks nice." Bokuto blushed slightly, and grinned. He'd simply brushed his hair back this evening, since he hadn't had enough time to style it like he usually does.

"Thank you." He chuckled. "I've never eaten here, have you?"

"No, Suga recommended this place to me." Akaashi said with a smile. "Follow me." Bokuto followed Akaashi who lead him into the restaurant, and waited to be seated. 

"Party of 2?" A tall kid with freckles dusted across his cheeks and nose asked as they walked in. 

"Yes." Akaashi said. "Could we get a private table?" He asked, and the kid nodded.

"You're lucky it's the middle of the week, usually if someone wants a private room, you need to make reservations." The kid says, smiling at them as he picked up two menus and lead them into the restaurant.   
They were seated towards the back of the restaurant in a private area, at a table for two. There was a white tablecloth over the table and an almost ridiculous amount of silverware in front of each seat. Their waiter placed the menus on the table and took their drink orders, offering to take their coats but Akaashi declined.

"Red wine for me, please." Akaashi said, as he shrugged his coat and draped it on the back of his chair. Bokuto mimicked him and ordered the same drink. He was incredibly distracted by the sight of Akaashi in fitted black slacks with matching belt and shoes, topped with a pale blue dress shirt and a thin black tie. He looked incredible. He swallowed thickly as the their waiter left them alone.

"You look amazing." He breathed, sitting down and picking up his menu. 

"So do you." Akaashi blushed, and Bokuto grinned as he hid behind his menu. 

"So.. what's the occasion, Akaashi?" He asked. 

"I'm moving onto the next round of competition." He answered, and Bokuto looked up. 

"Really?" Bokuto grinned widely. "I can't wait~"

Akaashi frowned and put down the menu. "That's the thing, Bokuto-san. The competition is in Korea, next weekend."

"Korea?" Bokuto asked. "How long will you be there?"

"3 days. I leave on Friday and come back Sunday. You have a game on Friday night in Kyoto, right?" Akaashi asked. "I just.. I'm sorry you can't come on the trip with me."

"Where will you be going?" Bokuto asked. He'd known that there'd be no way that he could attend every competition but it was still frustrating. 

"Seoul.. Oikawa is competing too." Akaashi said, doing that thing where he played with his fingers again. 

"I'll miss you while you're in Korea." Bokuto smiled, watching as Akaashi's cheeks turned pink. 

"Yeah." He said with a soft smile in return. "I'll miss you too."

\--

He and Oikawa landed in Seoul around 3pm on Friday night. International travel wasn't new to Akaashi, but he never could really get used to it. He and Oikawa checked into their rooms, and he ended up flopping down onto his bed and staring at his ceiling with a frown. He almost wished that he and Oikawa had shared a room, since at least then, he'd have someone to fill the empty feeling in his chest. 

He picked up his phone and sent a text to Bokuto, attaching a selfie of himself laying in bed.

To: Bokuto-san  
3:26PM  
I landed in Seoul, and I'm checked into my room. 

Bokuto didn't take long to reply, and it actually surprised Akaashi a little. 

From: Bokuto-san  
3:27PM  
That's good, I miss you already. Stay safe Akaashi!  
[Image attached]

He felt a blush bloom across his face at the selfie that Bokuto had sent with the text. He was shirtless and his muscular chest and shoulders were glistening with a light sheen of sweat. That and the smile on his face was enough to make his heart flutter. He cursed fate for not allowing Bokuto to come on this trip with him, and flopped onto his side, looking at the photo of his boyfriend. 

To: Bokuto-san  
3:31PM  
I will, I miss you too.

He sat up when he heard a knocking on his bedroom door, followed by the door opening. Oikawa walked in and flopped down beside him, brushing the hair from his eyes as he flashed a sad smile at his friend.

"Keiji-chan, remember when we were little and we shared the same room in France?" Oikawa hummed. "It was fun.. You stayed with me the entire trip because you never left Japan before and you were scared."

"No, I distinctly remember staying with you because you knew more French than I did." Akaashi sighed, poking Oikawa in the forehead. "Why'd you come in here?"

"Can't I spend time with my best friend?" Oikawa pouted, rolling over only to receive a raised eyebrow from Akaashi. "Okay, fine. It's lonely in my room. Want to go grab dinner or something? You're the one that can speak Korean."

Akaashi chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Its better than lying here alone." 

Oikawa smirked. "Missing Owl-kun already?" He leaned his head in his palm.

"You don't understand, he's absolutely illegal." Akaashi groaned, shoving his phone at Oikawa. "Look what he sent me."

Oikawa raised a brow as he unlocked the screen and whistled lowly. "What a tease, sending you this when he knows you're in another country." 

"I know." He groaned. "I swear he's trying to kill me, sometimes." Oikawa laughed at him, and shoved his shoulder lightly.

"Ill be honest with you, I don't think he's even aware of how much of a tease he's being." He smirked. "You're stuck with a muscle man that isn't aware of what he does to you."

Flopping onto his back, Akaashi groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Fine, I won't. Now let's go get dinner." He said, pulling Akaashi to his feet. "Come on, Mr. I'm-Fluent-In-Korean, I need your help ordering food."

"Okay, okay." Akaashi sighed, following Oikawa as he pulled him out of his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe there's only one chapter left to wrap up this story!! I hope you enjoyed this part and are looking forward to the end <3


	23. Lucky

Akaashi turned on the outside edge of his blades as his music picked up, taking a calming breath. The audience was quiet and he was at peace. He started forward in running like strokes, feeling the cool air against his face. He did a couple of small toe loop jumps in succession, pushing his left leg out behind him as he moved forward. He felt goosebumps raise on his skin under his flowing shirt as the cool air licked at him.

The strings picked up and he pushed into a quad, landing with a surgeon's precision. He smiled making a wide turn, switching from one foot to the other as he carved a big '3' into the ice. He proceeds into dancing-like motions, leaning and arching his back and moving his arms and legs in ballet-style movements. He then turns into a layback spin, stretching his arms towards the ceiling as his back arched, his head fell back and he bent his leg up behind him.

For a long moment, he felt like he was alone, spinning blindingly fast on his own axis in space. He dropped his leg and straightened until he pushed forward. He does grapevines for a moment while he gathered up the strength for his final move. 

This was the calmest Akaashi felt during competition all season. He looked forward and crossed one foot over the other, building up speed as he pushed off the inside edge into a triple axel. He lands briefly before he pushed into a triple toe loop, then landed into a sit spin, the world blurring around him as his music drew to a close and he stopped moving.

His chest heaved, as he looked out at the crowd of unknown faces, who cheered for him. Here he was, miles from home, and these hundreds of unknown men and women were cheering for his performance. He smiled to himself, sadly. Unfortunately the people he wanted there, weren't there. He turned to skate to the edge while the judges scored his performance, picking up a rose that'd been thrown onto the ice on his way. 

He got to the edge and his coach handed him the covers for his blades as he tromped off the ice. Akaashi slid them on and when he looked up, his eyes widened. He dropped the rose, there waiting for him on the bench, was Bokuto. Tears slipped from his eyes and he simply stared in his direction, wide eyed and pretty sure he was hallucinating. 

"Surprised?" Bokuto asked, laughing as he stood up and ushered Akaashi to the bench.

"How did you even get here?" Akaashi asked, looking up at him and wiping his eyes. He gaped, a smile pulling at his lips. "Y-You had a game last night.. You.. how?"

"I had help from Oikawa." Bokuto chuckled, sitting down with Akaashi on the bench as the judges read off his scores. 

"5.8, 5.9, 5.8, 6.0, 5.7." The scores lit up the board. He'd scored better than he had all season, and he covered his mouth as he smiled. He couldn't believe the events of that day. Here he was in South Korea, having just done the performance of his life, with the world's most perfect boyfriend beside him. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, unable to stop the flow of tears from falling from his eyes.

The rest of the competition went by in a blur, he barely recognized that he placed 2nd, tied with Oikawa. He was just far too happy. He was called back for interviews with Oikawa, and reluctantly had to leave Bokuto behind for that short amount of time. He quietly, and calmly responded to every question asked, and allowed for photographs and such. He and Oikawa posed together in photos as the second place 'team' from Japan, as they'd been called. It took longer than he wanted, but eventually, they were let go and they changed into casual clothes before they returned to Bokuto.

"You're so lucky, Keiji-chan. Iwa-chan didn't want to come here with me, even though I invited him." He whined, pouting. "He said he'd see me tomorrow when I get home."

"Well, with all due respect, Oikawa, Iwaizumi-san is right. It's only a 3 day, 2 night trip." Akaashi said, smiling to himself. 

"But Owl-kun came for you, even though he was busy yesterday!" Oikawa pouted. 

"Bokuto-san and Iwaizumi-san are two completely different people." Akaashi chuckled, looking up at his friend. "If Iwaizumi gave in to every one of your whims, there'd be no end to your madness."

"Rude." Oikawa grumbled, crossing his arms.

\--

After having dinner with Oikawa, Bokuto went to Akaashi's hotel room with him. He couldn't get the sight of Akaashi's flawless skating out of his head. He was so graceful, so beautiful. Even more beautiful than he'd ever seen him before. And his reaction to seeing him was awesome. He didn't know what to expect, but he'd gotten much better a response than he could have hoped for.

Akaashi flashed a slight smile at him over his shoulder as he walked farther into the room. Bokuto swallowed thickly and licked his lips. He walked up behind his boyfriend and slid his arms around his waist, leaning his head onto his shoulder. He felt Akaashi relax against his chest, and turn to face him a bit.

"Thanks for coming to see me." Akaashi said, turning around slowly to kiss Bokuto's cheek. Akaashi's face flushed pink as he pulled back a bit. "It.. meant a lot to me." Bokuto grinned at the honesty in Akaashi's quiet voice, and tilts his chin so he could kiss him on the mouth. He felt Akaashi lean into the kiss and slide his arms around his neck, and slowly stroked over his lover's hips. 

Bokuto parted the kiss slowly. "Did you really think I'd miss one of your competitions?" He asked, grinning as he lightly pecked at his lips again. "I love watching you skate, Akaashi.."

"Y-You're embarrassing." Akaashi muttered with a gentle smile before he leaned in and kissed him lightly."But.. I like it when you watch me skate, too.."

"Really?" Bokuto asked, leaning their foreheads together with a grin. Akaashi nodded slowly, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Bokuto's jaw, running his soft hands over his neck. Bokuto made a low contented sound in his throat. 

"Yeah.." He hummed, nipping lightly along Bokuto's jaw line. "Of course I do." He could feel Akaashi smirk against his neck.

"Hey.." He pushed Akaashi back gently, just enough to make eye contact with him. "I came here for you.. let me take care of you, Keiji."

\--

Akaashi blushed and gulped, looking up at his boyfriend. All they'd done tonight was kiss, and even now, Akaashi was so far under Bokuto's spell. "Take care of me, how?" He asked, unable to break eye contact.

Bokuto's mouth curled into a wide, playful grin as he slid his hands under his shirt, stroking calloused fingers over his hips in soothing motions. "In every way possible." He leaned forward and pressed a fleeting kiss to his lips, that made him want more. When Bokuto pulled back, Akaashi followed him, chasing the teasing kisses that Bokuto was barely giving him.

"Why don't you start by kissing me properly?" Akaashi grumbled, raising his eyebrow tauntingly. He received a low chuckle from Bokuto, and frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You're so impatient, Keiji.. Its cute." Bokuto grinned, before he leaned toward him and started teasing kisses off his lips again. Each time Akaashi leaned toward him for a deeper kiss, Bokuto backed away. It was incredibly frustrating, and Akaashi quickly felt himself losing his patience. He tangled his hands into Bokuto's hair and pulled him closer, attempting to kiss the grin from his stupid, handsome face. 

Bokuto's hands leave his hips and gently grip his wrists, Akaashi stops moving and blushes darkly. He feels calloused thumbs rub over his wrists and slowly released Bokuto's hair, the hungry look in his lover's eyes making him weak in the knees. 

"Bokuto-san.." Akaashi whined. "Kiss me Boku-" he was cut off by Bokuto's finger being pressed to his lips. He twisted his now free hand into Bokuto's shirt.

"No." Bokuto grinned, and Akaashi felt his heartbeat escalate. How was he able to do this with such minimal touching?

Akaashi narrowed his eyes at Bokuto, then pressed a soft kiss to his finger tip. "Please?" He asked against the pad of his finger. He watched the bob of his boyfriend's adam's apple as he swallowed.

"You need to say my name.." Bokuto's lust rough voice said. His tongue licked over his lips, and Akaashi felt a strong sense of pride. 

"Kiss me, Koutarou.." Akaashi said with a light nip at Bokuto's finger, watching as Bokuto's face flushed and his resolve faltered. And finally, they were kissing. Bokuto took Akaashi's mouth, nipping, licking, sucking at Akaashi's lips and tongue. He couldn't get enough, and leaned into the hot kiss. Bokuto smelt like spice, and he tasted faintly like espresso. 

Despite the intensity, their pace was slow, leisurely even. It was so comfortable, leaning into Bokuto's movements with slow rocks of his hips and strokes of his fingers. Bokuto's hands were hot, moving up Akaashi's hips and chest, beneath his shirt. 

Akaashi felt Bokuto's thumbs rub over his nipples and gasped involuntarily. He parted the kiss and looked down, embarrassedly as Bokuto's thumbs continued to toy with his nipples. He bit back soft gasps and whines, Bokuto moving to kiss and lick at his neck, pulling back only to tug Akaashi's shirt off. 

"You're so beautiful, Keiji.." Bokuto's voice rasped into his ear, sending a shiver down his body. Big hands moved over his back and chest, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Akaashi tried to regain his composure, despite the fact that his body leaned into every touch.

"I-I want your shirt off too.." Akaashi said breathily, pulling up Bokuto's shirt, only to have his hands stopped. He looked up into wide-blown eyes. "What's wrong?"

Bokuto simply smirked and shook his head. "Nothing.. I just want to focus on you." He said, pulling one of Akaashi's hands up and pressing a kiss to his wrist. He pressed more kisses to his knuckles, his fingertips, his palm. "Will you allow me to indulge myself tonight?"

Akaashi somehow lost his voice, the only sound he was able to make was a soft whimper as he opened his mouth to speak. He felt the heat of Bokuto's eyes as they looked him over, the soft press of lips on his skin sending a blossoming heat through his nerves. He swallowed thickly and nodded, his lips trembling as he let out an almost silent whisper of, "Go on, I'm all yours, Koutarou.."

"Thank you." Bokuto grinned, and Akaashi felt his heart practically stop. He could feel enormous amounts of love in the other's gaze and touches, and it overwhelmed him. Bokuto bent down and scooped Akaashi up princess style in his arms, surprising him.

"B-Bokuto-san?" He yelped, blushing darkly when he felt Bokuto's muscles flex, being carried towards the bed. He frowned, squirming lightly in embarrassment when he saw the pure adoration in Bokuto's eyes. Akaashi found himself thinking about how he didn't deserve someone so wonderful, and as if he were able to read his thoughts, Bokuto's smile faltered.

"Keiji.." Bokuto said softly as he put Akaashi down on the bed. He stroked his cheek in his large hand and pressed soft kisses to his forehead, his eyelid, his cheek, his lips. "I'm so lucky, Keiji.." He said lowly, climbing over him. "I'm so lucky that you're mine.." He said, before he took him in a deep kiss.

Akaashi felt tears prick at his eyes as Bokuto's hands caressed his hips, his back, his chest. Reaching up to run his hands through his hair, Akaashi leaned into the kiss, licking into Bokuto's mouth and sliding their lips together comfortably. There was no rush. No sense of urgency. Just this warm, tingling sensation that spidered out from wherever their skin touched, through his entire body. Nothing but pure, love.

The kiss parted, and Akaashi opened his eyes slowly to look up at his lover. He was absolutely breath-taking, his hair a mess, his face dusted pink, his chest heaving in heavy breaths. There was only one problem: he was still clothed. Akaashi moved to sit up, only to be held down by Bokuto's large, strong hand.

"K-Koutarou.." He breathed, swallowing thickly as he watched his boyfriend dip his head to kiss down his throat and across his shoulders. "Please.. please take it off.." He whimpered.

Pausing in his movements, Bokuto made eye contact with him. "What was that?" He asked, smirking playfully.

Akaashi stammered, embarrassedly. "Please... t-take off your shirt.. I-I want to see you." He said, tugging at the offending clothing. 

With an amused smirk, he sat up and pulled his shirt off over his head, unintentionally flexing in a way that practically had Akaashi drooling. "Better?" He asked, tossing the shirt to the floor. Akaashi's throat went dry and he nodded slowly, watching as Bokuto leaned over him with a low rumble of laughter.

Bokuto began to kiss down his chest, stopping to bite and suck little red marks into his skin. Akaashi's mouth fell open with soft moans, and he tangled his hands into Bokuto's hair. He watched as Bokuto kissed lower until he was at his hips. He sucked at a fleshy part of his hip as his hands busied themselves by unbuttoning Akaashi's jeans.

Bokuto made quick work of removing Akaashi's pants and underwear before he wrapped his hand around his cock. He whined, covering his mouth with one hand as he watched Bokuto start to tug at his length. His eyes fluttered closed and he bit one of his fingers as he rutted his dick into Bokuto's hand. 

Soon the friction was gone and he made an embarrassing gasp when he lost the contact. He opened his eyes just in time to see Bokuto wrap his mouth around his dick and start to bob his head. He sucked hard around him and groaned, sending a tremor up Akaashi's spine. Akaashi clapped a hand over his own mouth and moaned embarrassingly loudly into his palm. Bokuto's hands held down his hips so he was at the mercy of his slow, almost torturous pace. His tongue flicked in random patterns with each slow rise and fall of Bokuto's mouth around his cock.

"K-Kou.. s-stop.. Koutarou.. ah.." Akaashi pulled at Bokuto's hair, whimpering softly. His hips twitched with need. "P-please.. I want-!" He gasped loudly when Bokuto pulled off his dripping cock with an obscene pop.

"What do you want, Keiji?" He asked, his voice rough and dripping with lust. 

"I want you.. I-I need you.. please.." Akaashi whined, spreading his legs as if to validate his point.

Bokuto nodded, sitting up. "Wait here.." He said softly, before getting off the bed and rushing to his travel bag on the opposite side of the room, pushing off his pants and underwear at the same time. Akaashi smiled to himself and sat up.

He scooted up on the bed and lay back onto a pillow, taking the second one and propping his hips up on it. Akaashi looked up when he heard Bokuto inhale sharply and blushed when he saw he was starring at him. He looked away nervously as Bokuto came back to the bed with lube and a condom. 

"You're beautiful.." Bokuto said as he leaned over him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

"Y-You're always saying that.." Akaashi sighed, kissing him back. 

"That's because you are." He said against his lips as he opened the lubricant, poured some onto his fingers, and rubbed at Akaashi's hole in slow circles. Akaashi shivered against him as he felt Bokuto push his finger into him slowly. He tangled his hands into Bokuto's hair again and pulled him into a needy kiss. 

Bokuto's finger was wide, and he moaned into the kiss as he felt him push his finger in and out. He shivered, licking up into Bokuto's mouth desperately. He willed himself to be patient, feeling the thrust of Bokuto's hand get faster. He broke the kiss with a yelp, his hips pushing back onto his finger.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that proud grin spread across Bokuto's face as he slid in another finger and began to assault his prostate. He covered his mouth with both hands in an attempt to muffle his gasps and moans, watching the look of concentration in Bokuto's eyes. Akaashi whined at the addition of a third finger and dropped his hands in favor of holding onto the sheets.

"Y-You ok?" Bokuto asked, stroking his hip with his free hand, stretching him out with the other.

"Y-Yeah.. I-I'm fine, love." Akaashi panted, feeling the fingers inside him curl into that spot that made him see spots of white. He moaned loudly, trying to force his hips onto Bokuto's fingers as he withdrew them.

"Good, good.. Keiji I love you so much.." Bokuto whispered, pressing a kiss to his mouth as he leaned over him and fumbled for the condom.

"I-I love you too.." Akaashi whined quietly as Bokuto pulled back to tear open the condom wrapper with his teeth. Akaashi watched as Bokuto rolled the condom onto his dick, and swallowed thickly. 

Bokuto slathered his cock with a thick coat of lube before he positioned it at his entrance, rubbing the head of his cock there and sending a shiver through Akaashi. He pressed in slowly, and Akaashi groaned, his head falling back into the pillow. 

"K-Koutarou.." He gasped, panting hard as his mouth lolled open. Bokuto's fingers rubbed soothing circles into his hips.

"You alright?" He asked, and Akaashi nodded quickly, reaching for Bokuto. His boyfriend leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips as Akaashi held onto his shoulders.

He moaned into Bokuto's mouth, feeling as he started to thrust his hips into him. He moved slowly at first, but quickly got much faster. He dug his nails into Bokuto's back and groaned, panting hard. Akaashi whined and broke the kiss with a loud moan as he felt him hit his prostate. He started to try to rock back into him, but couldn't get the angle he wanted.

"H-harder.. please.." He begged, holding onto Bokuto tightly. Bokuto nodded slowly and picked up speed, thrusting his cock into him and hitting his prostate almost every other thrust. Akaashi was groaning loudly, and when he looked up at Bokuto, he looked like he was barely holding on. He pressed a kiss to Akaashi's lips as he started to pump his dick in time with his thrusts. 

Akaashi held onto Bokuto's hair tightly and groaned into his mouth as he felt the heat in his hips become too much. Bokuto grunted, breaking the kiss as he rasped out, "G-gonna cum."

He nodded quickly, muttering a quiet, "Me too" as Bokuto's thrusts became erratic. He moaned loudly, and then came hard over Bokuto's hand, triggering off the other man's orgasm. 

The two of them lay together panting hard to catch their breaths for a while before Akaashi runs his hands through Bokuto's hair and smiles lightly to himself. Bokuto looked up at him and pressed their lips together in a sweet kiss. He winced when Bokuto pulled out and tied off the condom before tossing it into the trash can.

Akaashi looked up at his boyfriend. This beautiful, kind, and incredibly simple man that loves him with every inch of his being. He stroked Bokuto's cheek with his knuckles and pulled him down for another soft kiss, feeling Bokuto smile against his lips.

Bokuto pulled back. "You're amazing." He stroked his face slowly. "I'm so lucky to have you.." 

Akaashi laughed softly. "I'm pretty lucky, too." 

Bokuto got up and disappeared into the bathroom, coming back with a washcloth for them and he wiped Akaashi clean. Akaashi blushed at the attention but by this time, he should honestly be used to it. 

A knock sounded at the door and Akaashi quickly burried himself in the duvet from the bed. Bokuto pulled his pants on before he jogged to the door, and opened it. Akaashi looked at the doorway, seeing Oikawa standing there with a wide grin on his face.

"Well, I was going to ask if you two wanted to come to my room to watch a movie, but you look like you're busy." He sneered, looking over Bokuto and peeking around him at Akaashi.

Bokuto blinked and shrugged. "Well, we're finished now, so we can-"

"B-Bokuto-san..!" Akaashi blushed darkly, sitting up with a wince. Oikawa started cackling, grinning widely.

"What?" Bokuto asked, looking back and forth between Akaashi and Oikawa. 

Akaashi sighed, and ran his hand through his hair, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "We'll be over later, ok? I just need to take a shower." He said.

Oikawa's laughter died down. "Okay, don't be too long." He winked, before he left to his room.

Bokuto shut the door and walked back over to the bed, plopping down beside Akaashi. "So, we're going to watch a movie with Oikawa.. want to make a bet on whether or not it'll be about aliens?"

"I'm not going to bet on that." Akaashi laughed. "It will be about aliens."

Bokuto leaned in and gently touched one of the hickies on his chest. "These don't hurt, right?"

"No, they're fine. Don't worry." Akaashi said with a light smile, his eyes flicking over Bokuto's worried expression. He stroked his cheek, and watched as Bokuto smiled sweetly. 'What are the chances that I'd find someone like you?' He thought. 'I'm so lucky.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better way to end a story than with a sex scene?  
> I hate to see this end but I hope you all enjoyed the finale!! You guys have been absolutely wonderful throughout the course of this story and even though it's over, I hope you guys will continue to follow whatever else I add to this series!!   
> Thank you for reading, dearies!!


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